Jude Porter and the Last Phoenix
by Gamer AlchemistZ
Summary: Sequel to Battle of Fire. It's Jude's 6th year at Hogwarts and it may just be his hardest one. With the knowledge that his mother never wanted him and Lazarus growing more powerful, his mental state is exhausted. However, Jude is now facing an enemy that will ruin him more than anything or anyone he's ever faced. At least he has Harry Potter on his side now.
1. Bonnie

**Jude Porter and the Last Phoenix**

True to his word, Jude worked on his father's home in Godric's Hollow all summer. He used the muggle way, saying that he wanted to spend as much time there as possible, building back what Lazarus destroyed. He used the money he had in his vault to get as much advice he could from muggles and wizards who build houses. Luckily, he didn't even make a dent in the insane amount of money his vault had.

He spent his days building the house and his nights in the Leaky Cauldron with his parents, telling them about how progress was going. His parents were happy for him, if a bit skeptic. The only thing they ever wondered was why Jude never said anything about the house to James and Emma.

Jude was very tightlipped on why he hadn't revealed anything to his best friends. After the fight with Lazarus, he became a bit distant. Even so, he still tried hard to get back to how he used to feel; happy and cared for.

Ever since finding out about his mother, that had been the only thing on his mind. While he did spend his days working on the house, he also spent some time with a few wizard investigators. He wanted to find his mother and he knew this was the only way to do it. She was hiding and he needed to know what it was.

* * *

It was pouring rain. Jude couldn't feel the freezing temperature but that didn't take away the fact that he was completely soaked, his clothes stuck to him as he dripped water on Bonnie Wesley's doorstep. The journey to the house was a long one and it had been a while since he had been this deep into the muggle world by himself. He wondered why she chose to leave the wizarding world. Was it because of him?

He peered through his rain drop coated glasses and gazed at the front door of the house, the last thing separating him from the woman who left him after he was born. He lifted a hand and knocked as well as he could with a shaky hand. His heart pounded in his chest, so much so that he felt his body sway with each beat. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm his wild heart, and waited.

The next 30 seconds were the longest he ever felt in his life.

A creak indicating the door opening had him standing up straight, trying to look presentable despite his soaked clothes and hair.

They had told him that Bonnie had blue eyes, lighter than his own, red hair, and an attitude to match it. The only thing he inherited from her was the shape of his eyes. And now, as he gazed at her, he realized how much of a difference that could make.

Bonnie regarded him cautiously, narrowing her eyes, "Can I help you?"

"Ah…" His throat seized, cutting off his greeting. He swallowed dryly, ignoring the sting of pain that accompanied it, "A-are you Bonnie Wesley?"

"Who's asking?" Bonnie questioned suspiciously, leaning on the door jamb. "You look a little too young to be a cop."

"Too young to be an auror too," Jude quipped, watching as the woman's eyes widened in shock at the reveal.

Bonnie grabbed his arm, tugging him inside. "Get in here. I don't want my neighbors staring at us." She gestured for him to follow her through her small house. She had him wait in the living room while she got something to help dry the water on him.

She glared as she handed him the towels, "Any reason a young wizard is soaked on my doorstep? Did McGonagall send you?"

Jude shook his head as he rubbed his hair dry, "No. She doesn't even know I'm here. She didn't give me your address either."

"Well then what is it?" She demanded. "I haven't even been near a wizard or a witch in years. I haven't been doing magic either so I don't need someone seeing if I somehow ratted out the wizarding world."

The young male opened his mouth, stopping when his breath halted in his chest. He closed it, rethinking his words. He gazed at her, his pained eyes hidden behind the many droplets on his glasses. "I just wanted to see you."

Bonnie stared incredulously, "Why?"

"I thought you died," He continued, voice wavering. "All my life I thought you and my dad were dead. I had to find out from a man trying to kill me that you've been alive the entire time. I had to find you. I had to see if you were real."

A spark of realization finally hit the woman. Her face contorted in horror. "No, you're…"

"Yeah," Jude nodded weakly. Tears stung his eyes but he made a great effort to keep them at bay. "My name is Jude Porter. I…I'm your son."

Bonnie let out a breathless chuckle as she stumbled onto her couch, "Yeah, I can see that." She put her head in her hands and breathed deeply.

Jude watched her take in the information and felt his own anxiety telling him to leave and never come back to face this, to never find out what she would say to him.

A moment later, Bonnie stood with a heavy sigh. She addressed him as if she was speaking to a dog, "I'm going to put some tea on. Would you like any?"

"Please," Jude nodded. He then gestured to himself. "I'll use a spell to dry myself off so I won't wet your seat."

Bonnie simply stared for a brief moment before making her way to the kitchen. Jude took the time to quickly bring out the fire in him to dry his clothes. He was glad the tea was taking a while because he still wasn't good at producing the fire if he wasn't angry.

The two were seated minutes later, silently sipping their tea. Bonnie finished hers off and set it down on the coffee table between them before speaking, "So, Jude, what do you want to know?"

Jude stared down at his tea, mulling over questions in his head. He simply shrugged, "I guess my first question would be, why did you never look for me?"

"Okay," Bonnie exhaled, rubbing her jean clad legs. She clasped her shaking hands together tightly. "I don't know what McGonagall told you, but I wasn't ready to be a mother. I wasn't even ready to be anyone's anything. I just wanted to be independent.

"Your father, he meant well and he was such a nice man, but I didn't want to be with him. When I found out I was pregnant with you, I had options but Daniel already loved the idea of you. Before I could protest since it was my body, he spent his days creating spells to transfer any pain I had to himself. Never have I ever seen a man ready to take on pregnancy like that."

A ghost of a smile played on her lips. "Once I gave birth to you, he gave me the option of staying and helping to raise you. He even said I didn't have to be seen as your mother; I could just be Aunt Bonnie." She shook her head slowly, "I didn't want that. I didn't want to be a mother or an aunt. I just wanted to leave."

Her eyes fell to her clasped hands. "I know it sounds harsh for a mother to not love her child even a little but it's what I felt and I'm not ashamed of it."

"I'm not asking you to be ashamed of it," Jude stated.

"Good," Bonnie sniffled and continued. "I found out 2 years later that Daniel was killed in a fire and I couldn't believe." A chuckle of disbelief left her, "Daniel 'Fire is my best friend' Porter had been done in by a mere house fire. I knew it wasn't true, but I thought that if you had died in the fire, Daniel surely wouldn't have lived long enough after. That's how much he loved you."

A familiar warmth purring in his chest had Jude's lips tugging into a small smile. "I'm glad someone did." The smile died as he spoke up once more, "One last question. If you had known I was alive before I went to Hogwarts, would you have taken me in?"

Bonnie contemplated her answer before replying soundly, "No."

"That's all I wanted to know," Jude said quietly, ignoring the pain in his heart. He stood up from the couch.

"Jude," Bonnie began, pleading. "I have a life-"

Jude shook his head, frowning lightly, "I didn't come here to derail your life. I didn't come for your love or approval. I'm just here so the both of us know that the other exists."


	2. Results

**Chapter 2**

Sobs filled the Porter home. Jude had kept it together for as long as he could when he left Bonnie's home but the moment he set foot into his first childhood home, he broke down, his chest heaving and his tears and snot leaving his face at a rapid rate.

A niggling thought in the back of his mind told him to find Hannah and Neville to tell them about what happened. Being in their presence would comfort him more than staying in his home, bottling up his emotions would. However, his anxiety and brain told him not to be a bother; his surrogate parents had more to worry about than him.

But staying in the house wouldn't do him any good, he decided. He stood up, finding a box of tissues to clean his face. He walked over to the kitchen and found Hestia perched up in her cage.

He smiled as he opened the little door, "I'm going to the Potter house, so if I have any mail, be sure to send it there, okay?" He stroked her head gently before letting her fly out through one of the kitchen windows.

Before he left the house, he made sure to pack all of the clothes he had there. The majority of his belongings were still in the Leaky Cauldron and Hannah promised him she would put everything in his luggage before the term started.

It was still raining when he stepped foot outside. He paid heavy downpour no mind as he raced to the Potter house. He hoped Harry wasn't there. If he answered the door, there was no way he'd get in right away.

Half an hour later found him panting lightly as he knocked on a familiar door. He gave a relieved grin when Lily opened it, not noticing her flushed face as she gazed at him. "Hey, Lily. Is James here?"

Breaking out of her daze, Lily rolled her eyes and grabbed his wet sleeve, dragging him into the house. She quickly got a towel and handed it to him. As he dried up, she answered his question, "James went out with Dad and Al to look at the new broomsticks. My mum's upstairs taking a shower."

"Oh," Jude mumbled into the towel on his head. "Maybe I should come back another time then." He tried desperately to ignore the feeling of his chest caving in on his lungs. He needed to see James. Emma was too far from here and he couldn't Apparate. He needed to tell them, he needed to get it off his chest.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked worriedly, placing a hand on his arm.

Jude swallowed, feeling a sharp pain in his throat, "Yeah, I just really need to talk to James."

"You can talk to me." Jude blinked, eyes wide. Lily shrugged with a slight blush, "I mean, I know I'm not really on the same level as James or Emma, but I can listen."

A moment passed before Jude let out a sharp breath of relief, "Thank you." He glanced up the stairs. "Would it be alright if we went to your room?"

The blush on Lily's grew darker at his suggestion. But of course, of course Jude didn't realize what his words implied. Moments like this made her mentally thank and curse his obliviousness.

She nodded for him to follow her as she made her way upstairs. She made sure to grab a few more towels before they got to her room.

Jude gazed around the room as he slowly dried himself off. He smiled, "Your room is very nice."

"Thank you," Lily laughed lightly. "But that's not what we're here to talk about." She sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her.

He sat down carefully, keeping the towels under him. He gazed down at his worn shoes, a pressure building behind his eyes, "I didn't tell anyone this except my mum and dad, but when I fought Lazarus, he told me…" He rubbed his nose, pausing to ease the growing ache in his chest that made him want to sob all over again. "He told me that my mum, my birth mum, is still alive."

"And you believed him?" She asked, astonishment coating her tone. He glanced up at her, seeing her wide, disbelieving eyes.

He sighed heavily, his hands fidgeting in his lap, "I didn't want to. The whole summer I tried not to think about it but it just kept nagging me. So since I had a huge amount of money in my vault, I paid someone to find out if she was alive; a muggle and a wizard."

"What happened?"

"It turns out she's alive and healthy as can be," He answered lowly, a sob clawing at his throat. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses, breathing deeply, "So, I went to visit her."

"You what?!"

He winced, "Lily, please. I know you don't think it was a good idea but it already happened. I visited her last night."

Lily shook her head, exhaling roughly, "You're right. You're right. I'm sorry." She ran a hand through her hair. "Tell me what happened. I promise I won't interrupt."

"Thank you," Jude continued. "I visited her and as it turned out, she chose the muggle life; she hasn't practiced magic since she graduated from Hogwarts." His shoulders slumped as he recalled yesterday. "We talked about my dad and she told me what McGonagall told me; that my dad loved me. I was really happy, but then she told me that she didn't want me at all."

Seeing Lily's sympathetic eyes, he shook his head, his lips trembling, "I didn't hate her for that. She couldn't help what she did and didn't feel. But what hurt the most was when she said that she wouldn't have taken me in even if she knew I was alive. And it just…"

He covered his eyes right as the tears left his eyes. He clenched his teeth, forcing down the rough sobs scratching at his throat. He felt Lily wrap her arms around his shoulders as she gently coaxed his head to her shoulder.

He clutched her shirt tightly as he cried hoarsely, "I hate her but I don't want to. It feels so wrong, like something dark and heavy is in my heart. I don't like this feeling but it won't go away. Every time I think about her it gets worse, but I don't want to hate her. She deserves to live her life, so why won't it go away?"

"It's okay, Jude," Lily whispered comfortingly, carding her fingers through his messy hair. "It's okay to feel that way. She left you without a word and wouldn't have come to get you even if she knew you were alive. It's okay to hate her. You're not a bad person for it. You're still Jude, the nicest boy I know."

He shuddered in her arms as the tears continued to leak out. In the back of his mind, he realized he had cried more these past few months than he ever had in his life. The thought made him fill with sorrow.

When he opened his eyes again, he was by himself in Lily's room with a blanket over his damp clothes. His blurry gaze moved around the room, slowly realizing he fell asleep after crying his eyes out.

He slowly sat up and rubbed his sticky, puffy face. He put on his glasses that were placed on the nightstand and made his way out of the room.

"Hey, Jude," Ginny greeted with a light smile once he got downstairs. She titled her head as she gazed at him, reminding him of Lily. "How are you?"

"I'm well, Mrs. Potter," Jude smiled back. "Did Lily tell you…?"

Ginny nodded, not needing to know what he was referring to, "She did. I hope that's okay. She just wanted me to know so I or Harry wouldn't jump to conclusions."

"What conclusions?" Jude tilted his head innocently.

A beat.

Ginny grinned with a chuckle and reached over to ruffle his messy hair, "Oh, Jude. Never change."

Jude blinked, "I'll try not to." He perked up when he saw the owls at the post. "Oh, have the Hogwarts letters arrived?"

The mother of three glanced back, "I guess they have." She tapped Jude's nose with a smile. "You must be excited for your O.W.L.s results."

"More like nervous," Jude mumbled. "May I?"

"Sure," Ginny nodded. "I noticed your owl there as well." As he walked over to grab his mail, she shouted up the stairs, "James! Al! Lily! Your letters are here!" She grinned sheepishly at Jude's wide eyes, "Sorry, Jude. It's the best way to get them here quicker."

Jude slowly got back to opening his letter; his hands shaking anxiously as he clumsily broke the seal. He shuffled through the papers until he found the one he wanted.

 _Ordinary Wizarding Level results for Jude G. Porter…_

 _Charms- O_

 _Transfiguration- O_

 _Herbology- O_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

 _Potions- E_

 _Care of Magical Creatures- O_

 _Astronomy- E_

 _Divination- A_

 _History of Magic- E_

 _Muggle Studies- O_

"Yes!" Jude cheered, fist pumping as he jumped around in the Potter kitchen. He startled when he heard cheering behind him. A blush crept onto his cheeks at Ginny's applause and laughter. "Sorry," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

He soon heard the thundering footsteps of the Potter siblings. A tight knot formed in his stomach for a reason he couldn't explain. He hastily stuffed the papers in his jacket and rushed out of the kitchen.

"Jude, where are you going?" Ginny asked baffled.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter, but I really want to show Neville and Hannah my results," He called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the house. "Thank you for your hospitality and thank Lily for me as well. I'll see James when the term starts."

His feet hit the sidewalk before the front door was shut all the way. Nevertheless, he kept running and running. A part of him wondered why he needed to be away from James when he came to the house for him in the first place.


	3. A Different Welcome

**Chapter 3**

Jude lifted his luggage and slid it into the compartment above the seat. A smile lay on his lips, one that came to be since the early morning of the day. After Neville and Hannah saw his O.W.L. results, they congratulated him happily, smothering him with hugs and kisses, ones he was happy to take.

His parents made his favorite meals the next few days and bought him a few gifts from Diagon Alley. He had protested that he didn't need anything more than what was on the list in the Hogwarts letter, but they ignored his words and bought him whatever he expressed interest in. He thanked them and had wiped his tears discreetly.

He was happy, if only for a few days. He couldn't tell Neville and Hannah about what had happened with him and his mother; they didn't even know that he went to visit her. He didn't want to worry them or make them upset. He vented to Lily which helped him, so he didn't need to bother anyone else with this. Not his parents.

Not even James or Emma.

"Coming through," He heard James exclaim as the door slid open. Before he could turn around, he heard James grunted, "Hey, man, sorry to break it to you, but this is our compartment, so you need to leave."

Jude raised an eyebrow as he turned on his heel, "That's a little insensitive, mate. If anything, I've been in this compartment longer than you have."

He desperately tried to smother the grin that threatened to erupt on his lips when he saw James and Emma's eyes widen at the sight of him. He didn't understand everyone's shock whenever they saw him now but it was amusing to see his best friends react the same way.

"Jude!" The two in front of him shouted happily, rushing forward to wrap their arms around his broad shoulders.

James was the first to pull away. He grinned up at his friend, pressing his fingers into Jude's muscular arms, "Merlin, mate. You hit a growth spurt or something?" He scowled playfully at the height difference. It used to be 2 inches but now it was a whopping 5.

Jude grinned back shyly, scratching the back of his head, "I did a lot of heavy lifting these past few months, what with working on the house and all. I guess I finally hit the last ring of puberty."

"I doubt it," Emma shook her head with an amused smile. Feeling the train begin to move, she gestured for them to sit down. Her green eyes lit up excitedly as she moved them onto another topic. "What were your O.W.L. results? James and I were talking about ours before we got here."

"Oh," Jude blinked. He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out the paper. He handed it over to the red head, smiling when she squealed in anticipation.

James skimmed over the results and grinned, holding up his hand, "Nice job, mate." After Jude high fived him, he took out his own results from his jacket.

Both Jude and Emma huddled over the parchment, reading _Ordinary Wizarding Level results for James S. Potter_

 _Charms- O_

 _Transfiguration- O_

 _Herbology- E_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

 _Potions- O_

 _Care of Magical Creatures- O_

 _Astronomy- A_

 _History of Magic- A_

 _Muggle Studies- E_

"Brilliant, James," Jude grinned, high fiving him again. "Alright, Emma, your turn."

Emma exhaled shakily as she reached into her luggage. She took out the results and held them with a trembling hand, her eyes shining with what looked to be unshed tears. The boys raised a confused eyebrow as they brought their gaze down to the parchment in front of them.

 _Ordinary Wizarding Level results for Emma A. Thorne_

 _Charms- O_

 _Transfiguration- E_

 _Herbology- O_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

 _Potions- O_

 _Astronomy- O_

 _History of Magic- O_

 _Muggle Studies- O_

 _Arithmancy- O_

 _Study of Ancient Runes- O_

James pursued his lips and squinted his eyes, shaking his head slowly, "I'm not seeing what has you so shaken." She directed his attention to one of the results. He rolled his eyes, "Em, seriously? It's just one E. It's not bad."

"It is for me," Emma exclaimed miserably. "Not only did I not get perfect O's for every class, but I got an E for Transfiguration; the one class Gryffindors are supposed to excel in. How am I supposed to look at my professors now?"

"Oh, Emma. Come here," Jude said soothingly, gathering her in his arms. He rubbed her back, hoping to comfort her. "It's gonna be okay. No one's disappointed. You always go above and beyond so everyone knows you're gonna overcome any obstacle no matter what letter grade you get."

Emma sniffled, burying her face in his shoulder, "Thank you, Jude." Her eyelids drooped closed. "How is it that your hugs have gotten immensely better?"

"Must be the arms," James joked, gaining a chuckle from Jude.

No response came from Emma. The two glanced down and found her asleep on top of blue eyed boy. Said boy exchanged a look with James before shrugging. He held her throughout the rest of the ride, his chest warm with affection for his two favorite people.

The train pulled to a stop a few hours later. It took both Jude and James to wake Emma up. She reluctantly left Jude's arms and gathered her things. The trio made their way out of the compartment and got off the train.

"I can't believe you slept the entire train ride, Em," James snickered as they walked towards the carriages.

Emma huffed, her cheeks flushed, "It's not my fault. Jude was so comfortable. I couldn't help but fall asleep." She reached up, higher than she usually did, to pinch Jude's cheeks and cooed when he grinned bashfully.

James shook his head with a mock frown, "What if I wanted to cuddle with him? You deprived me of that."

"I'm so sorry, James," Emma replied, rolling her eyes good naturedly. "Next time I'll save some of Jude for you."

"Slag," A familiar voice sneered.

Jude and James glared at Leon who passed by them. James made a move to follow him but Emma's hand on his arm stopped him from approaching the other male. He glanced down at her, his brown eyes blazing with anger behind his glasses.

Emma shook her head, her throat tightening, "It's okay, James. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

Heaving a ragged sigh, James tried to relax as they continued walking towards the carriages. Emma grabbed his head, squeezing it reassuringly. She gazed up at Jude who gave a small smile and leaned down to give her head a kiss.

Hogwarts always looked the same whenever they approached it but to Jude it still had the same magical atmosphere that had him gazing in awe whenever he saw it.

The trio walked into the castle, just now realizing that this was their sixth year; the second to last year. Jude couldn't believe they made it this far. When he was living with Piers, he didn't believe he would even make it to 16. Now here he was, ready to take on what was more than likely going to be yet another eventful year.

Everyone took their seats and watched as the sorting ceremony for the first years. Jude resisted the urge to jiggle his leg as he waited for Professor Neal to list off the names. The welcoming feast was his favorite and his stomach was growling for it.

However Headmaster Flitwick had something else to announce after the sorting ceremony. Still on his stool, he addressed his students, "Students, welcome to a new year here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now this is usually the time we start the banquet, but I have two more announcements to make. This year, since Professor Riley retired, we will be having a new DADA professor. Students, please welcome Mr. Harry Potter."

The students cheered wildly while Jude felt the warmth leave his face at the sight of Harry walking into the Great Hall. He leaned over to James, hissing, "Did you know about this?"

James shook his head, his eyes wild, "If I'd known, I would've told you."

Once the students settled, Flitwick smiled, "Yes, yes, I know it's very exciting, but that's not all. This year we will be housing all the wizarding schools around the globe. We will also be hosting the first worldwide school quidditch tournament. Not to worry, we will be having other tournaments on other subjects for others. Please give a round of applause for Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

The doors of the Great Hall opened abruptly. Jude watched the witches and wizards wearing pale blue robes, made of a material his fingers longed to touch, prance on their toes around the house tables.

He glanced at James, finding his jaw dropped and his eyes glazed over. He moved his eyes to Emma and found the same expression. He gazed back to the foreign students. They gave an airy sigh as blue birds flew around them. He mentally shrugged; they were very pretty to look at but he'd seen prettier.

"Durmstrang Institute!"

Jude flinched at the pounding of boots. The students of Durmstrang wore blood red robes along with fur coats and hats lined with fur. They stomped their way through the Great Hall with grunts escaping their mouths. When he chanced a look at his friends again, James seemed disinterested while Emma had the same expression as before.

"Castelobruxo!"

He perked up when seeing the bright green robe wearing students from the school located in Brazil. He remembered when the visited the country when they watched the Quidditch World Cup. A grin formed on his lips at the thought.

"Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The students that came in next had no gimmick. They simply came in, each grinning and smiling as they made their way to their respective places next to the other schools. The uniforms were blue with some shade of red; he'd have to ask Emma for the correct word. Each robe was fastened by a golden brooch that held the sigil for the school. The crests were what caught his attention. From what he could see, there were four different sigils, most likely showing the different houses. But he knew little of the other wizarding schools. He had no clue what the sigils stood for.

The students then stood, facing the houses. They strangely cawed and purred before singing.

" _We stand as one united,  
Against the Puritan.  
We draw our inspiration  
From good witch Morrigan._

 _For she was persecuted  
By common wandless men.  
So she fled from distant Ireland,  
and so our school began._

 _Oh! Ilvermorny-Massachusetts!  
We choo-choose it!  
We choo-choose it!  
The wizard school supreme._

 _Your castle walls, they kept us safe.  
The days with you, a dream  
You taught us all our magic  
And now one thing's quite clear._

 _Where'er we roam  
Where'er we roam  
Our one true home  
Our one and own_

 _Is Ilvermorny dear!_ "

Everyone clapped for them. Jude grinned widely, feeling especially giddy at learning a new song and some information for the school.

"Koldovstoretz!"

The students of the Russian school entered almost the same way as Durmstrang, each shouting boisterously in their native language. Jude furrowed his brow at the sight of the tree in one student's arms. What in the world was he carrying that inside for?

"Mahoutokoro School of Magic!"

The students of the Japanese school walked in with their heads held high and nodded respectfully to Flitwick before taking their place next to the other schools. Their robes were all of different colors, ranging from a pale pink to gold. Judging from Emma's excited gasp, he assumed there was a good story behind it. He would be lying if he said he didn't want to know as well.

"And last but not least, Uagadou School of Magic!"

There were many more students in this school. It took a bit longer for each and every one of them to get to their places. Either way, Jude was happy to watch all of them grin and eagerly shake the hands of the Hogwarts students.

He clapped with his fellow classmates, adding much more vigor despite his stomach still growling petulantly.

Flitwick waved his hands, settling the students. He smiled widely, "I thank you all for joining us at our humble school. We hope you enjoy your stay with us even when we beat you at quidditch." Everyone laughed at that. "Schools, we welcome you with a tune of our own. Students, if you will." He brought out his wand and gestured for everyone to stand. He waved it as they began to sing a very familiar tune.

" _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something please,  
Wheather we be old and bald,  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling,  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains rot._"

The other schools clapped for them, a bit of laughter escaping them. Jude felt the tip of his ears heat up. He quickly sat down with the rest of the students while Flitwick addressed the masses once more, "Now let us celebrate this fine year and our guests with our welcoming banquet!"

Jude tilted his head back, groaning in relief at the sight of the food. He wasted no time in piling as much as he could on his plate. He dug in, eager to fill his stomach.


	4. A Whole Different Schedule

**Chapter 4**

In the Great Hall, Jude gazed at his new class schedule, a pit forming in his stomach. There were two new classes but he ended up dropping some of his previous ones which made him feel guilty despite the fact that he knew he wasn't going to need them in the long run.

"So what classes did you get?" James asked, loosening his tie as he read over his own schedule. His friend handed his over and in turn, traded his own.

It didn't surprise either of the boys when Emma sputtered at the sight of his schedule. She gaped at the paper incredulously, "James, what is this? You only have 6 classes!"

James shrugged nonchalantly, "Eh. I didn't really care about any of the other ones. And I'm gonna be an auror. I don't see the need for History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, or Herbology. I know enough as it is."

Emma groaned, rolling her eyes, "Of course." She snatched Jude's schedule out of James' hands. She tilted her head curiously, "I'm happy that you finally dropped Divination but did you really have to drop History of Magic and Astronomy? I thought you liked that class."

Jude opened his mouth to reply only to have James snort amusedly, "Yeah right. He only liked that class because of Professor Alexander. He's hated the subject since the first year."

Said boy blushed in embarrassment, "I didn't say I hated it. I just wasn't that good at it so I didn't like it as well as my other classes." He grimaced, "I feel guilty enough as it is for dropping it. I don't really need a lecture on why it's important."

"And you're one to talk, Em," James smirked mischievously. "You dropped Astronomy as well. And from the looks of it, Apparition is the only new class you signed up for."

Emma sighed airily, "Fine, no more scolding." She held up the three schedules, "So we all have Apparition together. But Jude, why did you choose Alchemy? Do you know the first thing about it?"

"It sounded interesting when I read about a few years back. I thought I might give it a try and if not, I'll just drop it next year," Jude shrugged, taking his schedule back. He stood up from his seat. "Come on then. We should get to Transfiguration before all the good seats are taken."

"All the ones in the front?" Emma asked hopefully.

"All the ones in the back," James quipped.

Jude ignored their bickering as they made their way out of the Great Hall. He pressed a finger to his temple, closing his eyes. He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with a headache before he got to class.

His eyes snapped open when he felt someone bump into his chest. He caught the person's shoulders and gazed down at them, finding green eyes staring back at him. He smiled apologetically, removing his hands, "Sorry about that."

"Jude, you should really watch where you're going," Emma scolded as she and James stood next to him. He tried not to let his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

The blonde from Ilvermorny simply waved him off, "It's fine. I'm actually glad I bumped into a Hogwarts student. I woke up late and my friends left me behind, so now I'm scrambling to find my classes alone."

"What class are you looking for?" James questioned.

"Transfiguration."

Jude perked up, his smile stretching into a small grin, "Oh, that's what we have too." He nodded to her, "Come on then. We'll show you the way. I'm Jude, by the way."

The blonde smiled back as she began to follow them, "Chloe. I take it you're in the house for the lions." She pointed at the sigil on his robes.

"Gryffindor; house of the brave and courageous," Jude corrected. He glanced at her sigil questioningly, "I don't really know much about Ilvermorny or their houses though."

"It's fine," Chloe shrugged. "I'm a Pukwudgie, since you're wondering. The house for healers."

Jude breathed in awe, "Wicked." He blinked, "What about the other houses? Do you have 4 like Hogwarts?"

Chloe nodded, an amused smile pulling on her lips, "Other than Pukwudgie, we have Thunderbird, Horned Serpent, and Wampus. Thunderbird is for adventurers, Horned Serpent is for scholars, and Wampus is for warriors."

"Emma would be in Horned Serpent for sure. It's must be full of know-it-alls," James said, only half joking. He snickered when she nudged his shoulder.

Emma huffed, "James would be in Wampus, considering he punches before he thinks."

And like that, they were bickering again.

Chloe gazed at them before turning to Jude, "Are they…?"

"Together? No," Jude rolled his eyes, muttering. "If they were, I wouldn't have to deal with the constant tension whenever they're around each other. And for some reason, it's way worse than it was the last few years."

A beat of silence passed. He glanced at Chloe who stared at him incredulously. His back tingled uncomfortably. "What?"

She continued to stare, her eyes unblinking before she shook her head slowly once they approached the classroom, "…nothing." She gave him a smile, one that wasn't entirely pleasant, and patted his arm, "Stay safe, Jude."

Jude stood rooted in his spot, his eyebrows raised. He frowned to his friends who had finally quieted, "I think she thinks I'm dumb."

Transfiguration went off without a hitch. It was one of the classes Jude and James had no trouble with so it was obvious why it was their favorite class. However, at the end, Professor Walton gave them such an enormous amount of homework that the two had to rethink what their favorite subject was.

To Jude, it felt a bit bizarre being in a class filled with so many students. Since his first year, Transfiguration was only ever filled with one other house. Now it was filled with every 6th year student who hadn't dropped it as well as students from the other schools who also hadn't dropped it last year. Most of the classroom was filled with students from Mahoutokoro.

Muggle Studies had a little more difficulty, seeing as Professor Wainscot decided to up the ante this year. Emma had no problem with the material but Jude, who was slowly getting engrossed in wizard living, was now starting to struggle.

This class was filled with more students from Ilvermorny, he later noticed. He assumed it was because it was maybe easier to live as a muggle in the states.

Potions was stocked with the majority of Slytherins as well as students from Uagadou Mahoutokoro, and Koldovstoretz. Jude tried not to be intimidated by the dull stares of those hailing from Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz, or Professor Young who still glared at him.

Lunch came around after that. Jude was glad to only have one class left, Alchemy, and it was after dinner. He got another half an hour for lunch and got to study with James. Emma, unfortunately (or fortunately considering it was Emma) had Ancient Runes.

Alchemy was a class he had to endure alone, and since he endured Divination on his own last year and the year before, he figured it wouldn't be too hard. He sat down, gazing around and noticing that there weren't many Hogwarts in it. He was the only Gryffindor along with 15 Ravenclaws, 5 Hufflepuffs, and 11 Slytherins. He was just glad they had enough for the class to even be considering a class.

Many Uagadou students occupied the class as well. He gave a smile to one who sat next to him and held out his hand, greeting, "Hello. I'm Jude. Jude Porter. Nice to meet you."

The young man stared at his hand before grinning a smile brighter than his. He shook his hand enthusiastically, "Kofi Akiloye. Nice to meet you, Porter."

"I take it this is a big class for your school," Jude said, intrigued.

"Only the best class we have," A voice next to him answered. He turned to find a young woman now sitting to his right, her dark eyes shining like the many stars at night. She chuckled, giving him a wide smile, "Zola Okonkwo. How are you?"

Jude smiled back just as wide, "I'm doing fine, thank you. How are you?"

"Just fine, Jude Porter," Zola replied happily. She nodded to the boy next to him, "Kofi, did you notice he's the only one with a red tie?" She tugged at the end of Jude's tie.

Kofi nodded back, his eyes narrowed playfully, "I did. I did." He placed his arm on Jude's shoulder, grinning. "Brave and courageous? You want to be brave with us?"

"Do you have houses too? Emma never said anything about that, but if it's a house for the brave, I'm sure it's like Gryffindor," Jude replied, clueless as to what was going on between them.

The two gave him the same stare Chloe had given him earlier that day. He still didn't understand why so many people kept giving him that look. He mentally shrugged it off just as class was starting.

Professor Robert Murphy was someone he had never seen in his 6 years at Hogwarts. He assumed it was because they ran in different circles, and that was a shame. Only one class and Jude was eager to learn more. The class itself was interesting but Professor Murphy made it much better by including everyone in the lesson.

History of Magic was the first class on Friday but only Emma left in the morning. When the two of them walked to Herbology, she mentioned that Professor Alexander was saddened at the fact that he dropped her class. He stewed guiltily the rest of the day despite Emma telling him that he shouldn't feel guilty.

Care of Magical Creatures was yet another class Jude had by himself. Despite the many books he had to read on the animals, he still enjoyed the class immensely. At the end of the day, this was one class he was never going to drop.

When Monday came around, the trio was able to get their energy back after sleeping in over the weekend. The many homework assignments they were given took up all of their free time as well as most of the weekend, but they were able to get most of it done before the school week started again.

It still surprised Jude that he only had 3 classes. He was so used to getting up almost every single time Emma did. Not only was it three classes, but only Charms was the longest out of them which gave him plenty of time to catch up on his homework.

Tuesday had them in Defense Against the Dark Arts with Harry. Jude was used to having a teacher who hated him (i.e. Professor Lamb and Professor Miles), but this was the first time a non-dark wizard hated him.

Everyone, even the foreign students, could see the insane bias Harry had against him. He didn't say anything though; how could he when the person he would be speaking out against saved the wizarding world more than once. So, like with Piers' beatings, he let Harry's scathing words roll off his back and ignored any attempt to get a rise out of him.

This was going to be a long year.


	5. The Mind is a Curious Thing

**Chapter 5**

Hogwarts was bursting at the seams with the barrage of the foreign students. Classes were packed tight, the halls were harder to get through; don't even get them started on the Grand Staircase, and while the Great Hall had become much bigger to accommodate everyone, it was much louder than the Hogwarts students liked. It made having a simple conversation all the more difficult.

Jude was relieved and grateful when James came up with the idea of spending the majority of their time in the Room of Requirement. It was roomy, quiet, and just the three of them. Almost everything Jude loved was in this room.

Well, almost everything. With having to move out of the Great Hall to eat in the Room of Requirement, Jude didn't get to eat all the food he wanted. He realized he needed more food now since his body grew so much over the summer, so a plate or two wasn't enough to fill his appease his larger appetite.

When it came to studying, however, as much as Jude and James didn't want to study at all, Emma dragged them down the now overflowing library. It wasn't as loud as they thought it would be, but it was still frustrating to find a table for just the three of them.

"Hey. Jude, right?" A voice asked softly.

Jude blinked, glancing down to a familiar head of blonde hair. He grinned, "Yes. Nice to see you again, Chloe."

Chloe smiled, "I see you're doing some heavy studying. Why don't you sit at our table?"

"Wow, really? Thank you," Jude beamed gratefully. He gestured for James and Emma to sit as he took a seat across from the blonde. "So, how do you like Hogwarts so far? I hope it can match up to Ilvermorny standards."

"I don't think I can answer that on account of me being biased," Chloe chuckled. "But I like it here. The people are pretty nice, and you guys are obsessed with quidditch which is an added bonus."

She laughed when Jude perked up eagerly, his eyes shining behind his glasses, "You play quidditch? What position?"

"Seeker."

"Me too!" Jude exclaimed. He abruptly shut his mouth, the tips of his ears red, at the hushes that were thrown at him. He grinned sheepishly, his chin nearly touching the table as he whispered, "Sorry. Um, me too."

Chloe snorted with an amused grin on her lips, "Uh, yeah, I got that." She lifted a finger and waved it around. "People talk; especially Gryffindors. Apparently you're their Golden Boy as well as the undefeated seeker. That's a heavy title to have."

Jude gave a strangled groan, ignoring James' raised eyebrow, "That's the nickname they gave me in my 3rd year." He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "I never did like it. It made it seem like I was better than the others."

"You're not?"

"No," Jude shook his head with a small smile. "Just lucky. Really lucky when it comes to quidditch. My team is really the golden people, honestly."

He blinked once more when she stared at him peculiarly. It was the same stare she had given him when he first met her. A small part of him wondered if this was just something American girls did. He scratched his head, feeling a strange tingling in his mind.

A second later, Chloe's face softened. She reached over, patting his right hand. "You're a nice guy, Jude. I can't say that about many other boys." She glanced at his hand, a frown creasing on her lips as she stared at the scar on the back of it, "How did you get this?"

Jude snatched his hand back as if burned. An image of Lazarus flashed behind his eyelids. His heart began to race, pounding against his sternum and sending a sharp pain in his throat. He swallowed dryly, trying not to wince at the twisting in his throat. He stood from his chair, sweat beading on his forehead and neck from the uncomfortable heat on his back.

"Mate, what's wrong?" James asked worriedly, sitting up from his seat to grab onto his shaken friend. He sent a glare at Chloe who gave Jude the same stare as before.

Before he could say anything or even make a small noise, Chloe came back to the present and gasped, her expression tight and her eyes filled with sympathy, "Oh, Jude. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"You're a Legilimens," Emma breathed in awe as she stepped over to them. She caught James' glare and shook off the admiration she was feeling.

"A-a what?" Jude asked breathlessly, glancing at the three frantically. "What is that?"

James' glare on Chloe grew heated. "Someone who can read minds."

"O-oh…" Jude's words shook with his trembling jaw. He inhaled shakily, tears stinging his eyes, "Th-that's why you keep staring."

Chloe bit her lip, "Jude, I'm so sorry. It's an invasion of privacy and-"

"It's okay," Jude cut her off gently, his trembling ceasing.

"It is?" Chloe was taken aback.

"It is not!" James exclaimed, ignoring everyone's glares. "Jude, what she did is wrong and you shouldn't be afraid to tell her. If you won't, I will."

Jude clenched his jaw, taking a step back, "James, I don't need you to speak for me." He moved his gaze to Chloe and gave her a small smile, "It's okay, Chloe, because I know you weren't doing it with bad intentions. You just wanted to know and I guess if you're so good at it, it's probably second nature to use it. So I'm not mad."

Seeing Chloe's long stare again, James glowered, "He already said it was okay. Take his word for it and stop reading his mind."

"I was wondering what that feeling was," Jude mumbled, scratching his head when he felt the tingling feeling in his mind again. He grinned bashfully, "Even though I'm still wary about it, this whole Legilimency thing sounds wicked."

Chloe smiled back, still a bit subdued at James' heavy stare, "You know, I can teach you if you like. By the end of the year, I can have you better than a novice."

"No," James gritted out.

"Yes!" Jude and Emma accepted eagerly.

The librarian kicked them out before James could blow up at them.


	6. Captains

**Chapter 6**

Because of the Worldwide School Quidditch Tournament, the regular inter-house quidditch games were canceled to make room for the new matches. Jude knew he was more than likely going to be in the Hogwarts team since he was the captain of his house team, so he had to be on the top of his game.

However, even if the regular matches weren't going on, Jude still needed a new beater since Louis graduated. They may not all be competing in the tournament, but he wasn't going to go a whole year without a full team.

After getting permission to use the quidditch pitch for try outs, he and his team changed into their practice uniforms before going out to the pitch.

Jude tugged off his undershirt and placed it in his locker. He had just grabbed the top of his uniform when he heard Emma's voice approaching. He turned to the entrance, his forearms just barely in the shirt.

"James, I think you forgot-" Emma began, stopping when she caught sight of the undressed boys who stopped changing to stare at her questioningly. It was amusing to see Emma's face go red and her words get stuck in her throat as she gazed at them.

She abruptly turned on her heel and ran out. Jude tilted his head curiously as he and the other boys resumed changing, "What's wrong with her?"

James chuckled, shaking his head, "Oh, Jude. Don't you worry you're innocent mind over it. Besides, she's fine."

"I guess," Jude mumbled and continued to finish changing.

Minutes later, they were on the pitch with the newcomers. Jude smiled at them encouragingly when he saw many of them fidgeting nervously, "Welcome, everyone. Well, um…" He scratched his nose, trying his hardest to have the aura of a captain. "With the foreign schools being here, the regular quidditch matches have been canceled. However, I don't like not having a full team, so you'll be placed on the team but you might not play. I hope that's alright."

He resisted the urge to slump his shoulders in relief when he saw newcomers nod their head in acceptance. Inhaling lightly, he began, "Okay. I'm mostly looking for a beater, so I need those who are trying out for that position to go with Carlos. For others, alternate chasers with Emma, Lily, and James, and alternate keepers with Hugo. I trust their judgement and they will tell me who is best for whichever position."

He clapped his hand with a grin, "Let's get started then, shall we?" As everyone took to the sky, he turned to Albus. "I'm gonna practice so I'm gonna need you to make sure no one gets hurt, alright?" He patted the surprised Potter's shoulder before he got onto his broom as well.

The entire tryout took half an hour. It ended mostly due to the fact that the other house teams came onto the pitch as well, patiently waiting for Jude to wrap up. The captain said goodbye to the newcomers and escorted his teammates into the captain's room where they told him who was best in the tryouts.

With that in mind, he shooed them out and called in the other captains. When they walked in, he had to remember that the captains from last year graduated. 7th year Joffrey King was now the captain of the Ravenclaw team, 5th year Donnie Maxwell was captain of the Hufflepuff team, and 5th year Scorpius Malfoy was the captain of the Slytherin team.

Oh, this wasn't going to play out well.

The other captains took the seats close to the captain's table. Jude exhaled roughly, his heart pounding in his chest, "So, how are we doing this?"

Joffrey leaned back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head. "Well, considering we're all captains, we automatically have a place in the roster. So now we just need to find 2 other chasers, another beater, and a keeper."

"That's where you're wrong," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "We have two seekers here. One of us won't be able to play all…"

"Three matches. We're playing three matches," Donnie supplied with a grin. It soon turned sheepish at his next words. "Look, Malfoy, I think we can all agree that we would rather have Porter on our team."

Scorpius' face turned red as he sputtered, "No, we can't all agree!" He glanced at Jude who was staring down at his hands.

Joffrey snorted, "Please. I went over it with my team and they said Porter was our best bet if we want to win against any of the schools. Don't let us lose just because you can't admit that Porter's better than you."

"He's not better than me!"

Donnie hissed through his teeth, "He kind of is. Heck, he's even better than Andrews and Ellie. They've admitted it. And like King said, our teams agreed that Porter is our best option."

"Well my team made me captain so that means they believed I was the best seeker for this team," Scorpius retorted heatedly.

"Come on, Malfoy, don't pull a Walker on us," Joffrey groused. "Besides, not only is it three-one, but our teams already agreed, and I'm sure the Gryffindor team did so as well. You and your team are outnumbered."

After a moment of glaring at them, Scorpius threw himself back in his seat. "Fine," He muttered indignantly. "But I'm choosing the keeper."

Jude nodded, slightly timid after the discussion, "That can be arranged." He stood from his seat and gestured to the board behind him where the names of every person that was on the house team resided. "King chooses his two chasers, Malfoy chooses the keeper, and Maxwell chooses his beater partner."

"Best way to do it is by mixing it up," Joffrey stated as he stood with the other captains as they gathered around the board. He rubbed his chin, sharp blue eyes on the board, "I think I'll take Melissa and Simmons for the first match."

"Right." Jude pinned the names next to his fellow captain's.

Donnie grinned, "I'll take my partner Josh first."

Josh Hayes' name moved next to Donnie's. Jude glanced at the younger blond, "What's the word on the keeper?"

Scorpius exhaled, "Salvatore for the first match."

After he pinned the last name, Jude nodded, "Alright, we have a Gryffindor seeker, 2 Hufflepuff beaters, a Slytherin keeper, 2 Ravenclaw chasers and one Slytherin chaser. That look good to you, lads?"

"Fine with me." Scorpius crossed his arms, nodding.

"Yeah, yeah," Donnie waved his hand. He gazed at Jude, "You think we'll win, Porter?"

Jude swallowed, his fingers fidgeting at his sides, "I sure hope so."

Joffrey nodded, "Me too. If we lose one match, we're out of the tournament for good. We gotta show them what we're made of."

They were all treading new ground. He could only hope that this new team worked as well as his own team did. They had their school's reputation to uphold after all.


	7. A Talent Show

**Chapter 7**

Defense Against the Dark Arts was one of Jude's favorite classes. Not only was it fascinating to learn such strong spells, but it was one of the classes he did so well in. However, it was also the class that held two teachers that wanted to kill him, one teacher that died trying to help him, and two that transferred out for reasons unknown to him. But as he gazed at Harry Potter, he realized he had to amend that statement.

It now held three teachers that wanted to kill him.

"Just relax, mate," James mumbled next to him as his father droned on. They took to standing since most of the foreign students took every seat in the room. "It's not like he can do anything to you here."

Jude shifted his weight on his feet, grimacing, "Still." He relaxed slightly when he felt Emma hold his hand to comfort him. He gave her a grateful nod before turning back to the professor.

Slowly pacing the stage in the middle of the room, Harry addressed the class, "…So today we will be practicing some stronger spells. I know the students at Hogwarts have dueled before, but I don't know how they do it in other schools. I'd like for everyone to mark down any differences they see in each duel."

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Let's start. I want Mr. Anders Jacobsen of Durmstrang and Mr. Marlon Silva of Castelobruxo. Please come up to the stage."

Jude watched as two dark skinned males walked onto the stage. Anders gave the usual pose those at Hogwarts were used to while Marlon gave a different one, one Jude had never seen before. His lips twitched, giddiness flowing through him at the thought of being able to learn more about every little things in the foreign schools.

Wow, was this what Emma felt like on a daily basis?

Everyone watched in awe at the spells being thrown and bounced off. Anders' style used more offensive spells; it was rough and heavy. Marlon used defensive spells but he was able to throw some offensive spells with his flexible dueling style.

Oh Merlin, Jude thought to himself, an eager grin stretching on his lips as he bounced on his toes. What a time to be alive.

The match was finished moments later with Marlon as the victor. To Jude's surprise, not only did Anders take the defeat with a stoic nod, but he gave Marlon a smile and said something in his mother tongue, more than likely congratulating the other male.

"That's what I like to see," Harry complimented with a wide smile as he walked onto the stage again. "Now we move onto the next duel. Let's have Mademoiselle Adele Moreau of Beauxbatons and Mr. Vadim Popov of Koldovstoretz."

A blond haired young man with broad shoulders stepped onto the stage with a short young woman with dark hair and pale skin. The two gave their traditional poses before moving to the opposite sides of the stages.

Emma grasped Jude's sleeve, almost squealing, "I can't believe we get to see this up close. I've always wanted to know how the other schools dueled. It's amazing how cultures differ even in the magical world."

"I guess Mr. Potter isn't all that bad," Jude mumbled jokingly, sharing a grin with James before they turned back to observe the duel.

The brutish style of dueling Popov used was what lost him the match. Adele was light on her feet and was able to give just as much as she could take. Popov was only on the offensive, and every attack that was dealt to him pushed him a little closer to the edge of the stage until he finally fell over.

Harry nodded in satisfaction, "Nicely done, Mademoiselle Moreau. Next up we have Miss Zola Okonkwo and Kikuchi Yoshio-san. Please step up to the stage."

Jude recognized Zola the moment she perked up at the sound of her name. Yoshio was a tall, dark haired young man with dark, aloof eyes. He took off his robe and handed it over to another Mahoutokoro student. Unlike the other students blue robe, Yoshio's was gold.

Emma gasped into his ear beside him, "His uniform is gold. I need to talk to him when class is over."

"What does a gold robe mean?" James grunted distastefully, crossing his arms.

"It means he has top scores in every subject at his school," Emma gushed. "I bet he has a brilliant technique in fighting."

Jude shook his head at James who now glared at Yoshio. He turned his attention back to the stage and watched as the two foreign students who gave their traditional greetings before they took their places on the each side of the stage.

And of course Emma was right. Yoshio moved like a swan through every spell, whether it was his own or Zola's thrown at him. It was almost as if he was floating on air.

A silent gasp left the blue eyed young man. He hoped he didn't have to face Yoshio in one of the quidditch matches. He was already losing his confidence in dueling just watching him; he didn't want to think what would happen if he had to face Yoshio on the pitch.

It wasn't long before Yoshio got Zola's wand out of her hand. Zola was a good sport and simply laughed off her defeat and gave Yoshio a bow before skipping her way off stage to her fellow classmates. A smile twitched onto Jude's lips at that; he liked people who didn't losing, especially just a small scrimmage, to heart.

"And last but not least, Mr. Jude Porter of Hogwarts and Mr. Ethan Patrick of Ilvermorny," Harry announced.

Jude blinked, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised high. The tips of his ears turned bright red at the sound of almost everyone cheering for him. He tugged at his collar and made his way onto the stage, keeping his head down until he got onto the stage.

His opponent, Ethan Patrick, gave a quick kiss to Chloe before following Jude. He was tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, and slightly tanned skin. He had a long face and his hair was floppy, giving him a laid back look.

They met in the middle, placing their wands vertical from their face. They gave each other a nod before taking their places on the opposite ends of the stage. Turning on their heels to face each other, they began.

" _Confundo!_ " Ethan shouted first.

On instinct, Jude's hand that held his wand lifted, the shield spell bouncing in his mind but his mouth wouldn't work. He was surprised when he didn't feel any effects of the spell.

Once the shield was down, he shot his own spell, reciting the familiar words James, Lily, and Ginny taught him. The class laughed at seeing bat bogeys fly out of Ethan's nose, sending a pleasant rush through Jude's chest.

Ethan waved his hand frantically, barely able to get out his next spell, " _Depulso!_ "

It was if he was punched in the chest. The air flew out of Jude's lungs as he stumbled backwards. He pressed his foot hard on the edge of the stage and focused, whipping his wand in a familiar fashion. " _Expelliarmus!_ "

He mentally sighed in relief when Ethan's wand landed in his free hand. He held it up to Harry who gazed back disgruntledly.

"Mr. Porter wins the match."

The boisterous cheers from several of the students startled Jude. He hastily gave Ethan back his wand, the back of his neck burning, and made his way to James and Emma. He did his best to pointedly ignore everyone who tried to touch him to congratulate him.

He lifted a hand, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment as James and Emma snickered at his predicament. Not only did he have to deal with Hogwarts students and their staring, but now his popularity expanded overseas.

Oh boy.


	8. Lore

**Chapter 8**

Getting closer to the end of the year meant the weather grew colder and harsher as time went on. Though they were only in October, the rain already made its appearance many times these past few weeks and the skies were almost always dark. This made staying in by the fire a very common occurrence. However, some people liked to go out to get a nice warm butterbeer in Hogsmeade.

For Jude, he had no problem staying in or going out. He didn't even feel the change in temperature like his classmates did. He was even the one who begged James and Emma to go to Hogsmeade with him.

Not only was he happy he didn't feel the chilled weather, but he was amused to see some of the foreign students bundle themselves up just to go outside. He was also fascinated by how little the cold affected students from Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz. While he had something magical about him, students from the aforementioned schools walked through the rain or snow casually, not even the smallest shivers gracing them.

"It's because they come from cold countries."

Jude blinked, bringing himself to the present. He glanced down to find Chloe next to him as he waited outside of Tomes and Scrolls for Emma and James. He smiled eagerly at his new friend, "Hey, Chloe." He scratched his head. "You must've known what I was thinking about."

Chloe chuckled, "Hey, Jude. And yes, it was pretty obvious what you were thinking about without having to read your mind. Either you were wondering about how they're so comfortable in this cold weather or you were checking them out."

"Checking them out for what?" Jude tilted his head innocently.

The blonde scrunched her nose, shaking her head amusedly, "I keep forgetting that you don't think that way."

Jude felt the urge to ask what she, and many other people, was talking about, but he shrugged it away, not caring to delve into that conversation. He glanced at her attire, "I guess you're used to the cold too."

"Kind of," Chloe smiled, glancing down at her thick jacket, Ilvermorny scarf, and thin jeans. "The states get pretty cold, especially where Ilvermorny is, but I'm pretty warm blooded so I don't get cold that easily. I do, however, very much dislike nippy wind on my skin." She ran her eyes over his shirt and thin jacket. "You seem to be to be pretty immune to the cold too."

Jude grinned, nodding, "Yeah. I don't really get cold. My body temperature is pretty high when it's cold outside so it doesn't affect me." He snickered, "James gets a little jealous when we go to Hogsmeade and I don't have to worry about scarves, beanies, or gloves."

"So if your body temp is high, does that mean you overheat in the summer?" Chloe asked, though he knew she could've gone through his memories if she wanted to. For that, he felt grateful.

"No," Jude shook his head, pursuing his lips. "I barely feel the heat too. Whatever the weather, I never have a problem with it."

"Think it has something to do with magic?"

"More than likely. My uh…" He cleared his throat that suddenly grew tight at the remembrance of Bonnie Wesley. She wasn't his mother, so he wouldn't insult Hannah by referring to that woman as such. "A woman who knew my biological father told me he was the exact same way."

His brain tickled. He flinched, squeezing his eyes shut, "Please don't read my mind. I told you all I know."

Chloe bit her lip, losing the long stare, "Sorry. It really is like second nature to me. I'm surprised you can feel it."

"It's like a tickle on my mind," Jude mumbled as he rubbed his head. The bell on the door rang. He perked up as James and Emma walked out, "Finally. I thought you two would never leave."

"Sorry, mate. You know how Emma gets around books," James joked. His eyes narrowed when he saw Chloe. "What are you doing here, Holt?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Don't worry. I was just leaving."

Jude reached out, grabbing her hand before she could take a step. "Don't go. Come to The Three Broomsticks with us. I bet you've never had butterbeer before."

James glowered, "Jude, come on. I thought it was just gonna be the three of us."

"Please, James. She's my friend," Jude pleaded.

"She is?"

"I am?" Chloe was taken aback. She sobered when the three gazed at her; one suspicious, one with puppy dog eyes, and one intrigued. "Right, I am." She smiled, "I'd love to try this butterbeer you mentioned. As long as you don't mind."

Emma elbowed James in his side just as he opened his mouth. She put on a smile for the Ilvermorny student, "We don't mind. Besides, I'd love to hear more about your Legilimency studies."

Chloe's smile widened, "I'd love to tell you." She gestured behind her. "Shall we?"

"Three Broomsticks is that way," James mumbled, pointed the other way. He began walking, waving his hand over his shoulder. "Let's get moving then. With so many foreigners here, there probably won't be any room left inside."

By the time the four of them got there, the place was overflowing with students and some teachers. James and Emma skirted by to find someone to take their order while Chloe and Jude tried to find a place to sit.

It was snug, but the four were able to sit on a small table in the corner of the room. Jude sipped his butterbeer and watched as Chloe took her first sip.

"Mm!" Chloe exclaimed in surprise, her mouth still full of the drink. She quickly swallowed and spoke clearly, "That was delicious. I'm kind of jealous we don't have that in Ilvermorny."

James hummed noncommittally, setting his cup down, "This side of the wizarding world has many things yours don't."

Instead of backing down from the obvious challenge, Chloe smirked, "You're right. Tell me, how is it being the son of Harry Potter?"

Jude choked on his butterbeer while James sneered, "Just fine. How's your dad?" He smirked at her darkening eyes, "Yeah. Word gets around about you. It's crazy how much Ilvermorny students love to talk."

"James," Emma chided. "Stop talking before you say something you'll regret."

"Hey!" Jude cut in loudly when he saw Chloe and James ready to go at each other's throats again. He swallowed dryly at the glares they threw his way, "You know, I never got to ask. What are your wands made from?"

The innocent and completely irrelevant comment threw them off long enough for their anger to slowly dissipate.

Emma, however, beamed, happy to learn something new. "Oh!" She brought out her elegant wand and set it on the table. "Mine is made from beech wood with Unicorn tail hair in the core."

"That sounds wicked," Jude breathed in genuine awe. He didn't know much about wands and their cores; Gary Ollivander pretty much interrogated him about his wand, but he still didn't know anything about them.

The sound of another wand being laid on the table caught his attention. He gazed at Chloe's wand before turning his questioning eyes to her.

Chloe smiled slightly at him, "Willow with a White River Monster spine core."

He and Emma gasped at that while James simply raised an eyebrow. That was one core none remembered hearing much about in class. It was fascinating to hear about what someone from the other side of the pond had.

James plopped his down on the table next. "English oak with a Phoenix feather core."

"Phoenix feather? That's so cool," Jude gazed at his friend's wand with wide eyes with Emma. "I've heard about phoenixes but I've never seen them. Have you?"

"My dad has," James answered as he pocketed his wand. "The former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had it as an animal companion. My dad's wand and Voldemort's wand actually had phoenix feather cores too. Every time they fought, something unusual would happen with their spells."

Emma nodded, her eyes twinkling with the new knowledge, "Yes. The brother wands would have a unique magical connection. It must've let off strong rebound magic when the two met in a duel."

James blinked, always impressed with Emma's intelligence, "Yeah. That's exactly what my dad told me." He gazed at the only other male at the table and amusedly grinned when he saw his hands raised, "Yeah, mate?"

Jude lowered his hand and asked, "Is it true that phoenix tears can heal anything?"

"In my dad's second year, when he saved my mum from the Chamber of Secrets, he fought a basilisk. When he stabbed it with Godric Gryffindor's sword, its tooth got loose and pierced arm. He thought he was gonna die but Dumbledore's phoenix cried into his wound, healing him completely," James explained.

Emma frowned sadly, "Unfortunately, I hear they're going extinct. Only one phoenix has been sighted over the past several years. I believe it was Fawkes; Dumbledore's companion."

"Those poor things," Jude whispered sympathetically. He then pulled out his wand and set it on the table. "Mine is Rowan wood with Thestral tail hair." He blinked slowly at their gaping stares, "What?"

"Mate," James scoffed in disbelief. "Not only are wands made from Rowan wood extremely hard to master-

"-Thestral tail hair is even more unstable," Emma finished. "I'm surprised you're able to use your wand with that proficiency."

Chloe shook her head with a small grin, "I have to hand it to you, Jude. You really are a force to be reckoned with."

Jude scratched his head, his cheeks heating up uncomfortably. Could he never get away from some kind of fame?


	9. Party Time

**Chapter 9**

"A…a what?" Jude asked confusedly, his toast hanging from his mouth as he raised his eyebrows high. Breakfast was going to have to wait a bit, he realized sadly as he tried to process what exactly James and Emma were trying to tell him.

James shrugged, "A party; a Halloween party, to be specific."

"We've been invited by the 7th years," Emma supplied.

A party didn't sound too bad. He was used to the after parties after every quidditch game, but this was something he hadn't heard of before.

"Why haven't we ever gone before?" Jude tilted his head curiously.

"The party is only for 6th and 7th years because it involves a lot of things you can't do when you're underage," James answered, whispering on the last part. "Also, now that the foreign students are here, the party's gonna be bigger than ever, and we have to go."

Jude blinked, "Why do we have to go?"

James smirked, "Because they specifically asked for you. A lot. Seriously, almost every single person, from Hogwarts to every other foreign school, wants you to be there."

"You're very popular, Jude," Emma giggled, her amusement rising as Jude's face turned as red as the Gryffindor banner. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I mean, I want to go," Jude mumbled, his gaze on what was left of his breakfast. "I wouldn't want anyone mad that I didn't show up just because I was embarrassed."

"Then it's settled," James clapped his hands with a grin. "On the 31st, we're going to our first ever Halloween party. A party with upperclassmen and things we've never had at our regular after parties."

Jude shifted in his seat. "I feel a bit uncomfortable about this."

"It's not like we have to dress up as something else like muggles do."

* * *

Halloween landed on a Sunday which wasn't as convenient as some people thought it was. While yes, it was on a weekend, they still had school the next day. So to help with might happen the morning after, they chose to put the party on a Saturday.

That was the right move, in Jude's opinion, since many of the upperclassmen partied so hard they could barely move their wands the next morning.

The party was held in the Room of Requirement. It was the only place big enough to fit so many people. While Jude knew that other people knew about the room, he also knew that he and his friends were the only people to ever use it. He didn't have a problem with having other people in the space considering he was able to move his elbows.

James, however, was another story when it came to sharing. "We should've held this in the Chamber of Secrets," He muttered bitterly, sipping his fruit punch. "That way we wouldn't have to give up our secrets."

"At least people are having fun," Jude responded, smiling at everyone's boisterous cheers and wide smiles. He blinked, a thought coming to him, "Wait, where's Emma?"

Grumbling, James pointed towards the snack table where Emma was enthusiastically talking to Yoshio and other students from Mahoutokoro and Uagadou. Her eyes shined brightly at the new information she was given by each student.

Jude's chest warmed at the sight. "I'm glad she's having fun. It's been a while since she relaxed around other people."

James sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Now I feel bad." He patted Jude's back and nodded his chin towards their friend. "I'm gonna keep her company. You okay by yourself over here?"

"I'll manage," Jude nodded. He watched James walk over to Emma and beamed when both of their faces lit up the moment they made eye contact. Oh, he hoped they would get a clue and just get together already. It would make them happier than they were now.

He gazed around the room, putting each new face into memory. Everyone was wearing casual clothes which gave him a bit of difficulty in figuring out which school and country they were from. Not that it mattered where they were from; he just liked hearing about the differences in the school experiences.

A familiar face caused him to perk up. He carefully stepped around the mass of bodies and made his way over to his new friend. He grinned when recognition hit her, "Hey, Chloe. Did you just get here?"

Chloe smiled, "Hey, Jude. Yeah, we took a bit longer because Ethan here thought he knew the way inside when he clearly didn't."

Jude glanced over to Ethan, his stomach cringing at the heated glare he received, "Oh, hey P-"

"I'm gonna get something to drink," Ethan muttered rudely and brushed past the two.

Jude scratched his head, a frown tugging on his lips, "Did I do something wrong?"

"He's just mad that he lost the duel against you," Chloe said dismissively. "He thought that with everyone speaking your praises, you wouldn't hold up at all in a battle. His pride took a hard hit that day."

"I'm sorry," Jude stated softly, shuffling his feet.

Chloe patted his arm with a smile, "Don't you worry about it, Jude. It's not your fault he doesn't know how to get over things." She glanced behind him, catching some of her friends calling her over. Her smile turned apologetic as she began to walk over, "I'm gonna go socialize, okay? Don't get too lonely over here."

"Bye," Jude murmured, alone in a crowded room once again.

As he looked over the students again, taking note of James with students of Durmstrang, Emma with those of Beauxbatons, and Chloe with her friends, he wondered if he was really wanted here by everyone. It seemed that even with his popularity, no one wanted to be around him right now.

He sighed heavily, flopping down on the couch that appeared under him. He mentally thanked the room and continued to gaze around at every face he could find.

A few bodies landed sloppily on the couch with him only minutes later, catching him by surprise. He blinked slowly, gazing at the somewhat familiar faces.

"Jude Porter!" One male exclaimed happily, placing his arm on his shoulder. "What are you doing here all by your lonesome? You should be celebrating with us." He shoved his cup towards him, an encouraging smile on his lips.

Jude took it with clumsy hands, droplets hitting his trousers and sliding down his fingers and hands. The harsh smell of it tickled his nose and made the saliva in his mouth loose. He brought his gaze to everyone around him, wondering what exactly they wanted him to do.

A female behind him laughed, her accent thick but unknown to his ears, as she ran her hand through his hair, "Easy, Porter, it's not poisoned. Well, not exactly." The others laughed with her. Her nails dug into his scalp lightly, sending a chill down his spine. "Just drink it. We promise it'll be worth your while."

Not wanting to make it seem like he didn't trust them, he put the cup to his lips and sipped the drink slowly. It was heavy and caused his throat to tickle unpleasantly. The liquid flew down his throat and settled itself in his stomach, giving him a kind of warmth, one he had never felt before.

He took another drink, a larger gulp this time, and felt what had settled inside of him slosh with the extra liquid. He blinked, his eyes starting to grow heavy and his brain in a wooly blanket.

Another male chuckled, "Color me impressed. He didn't even flinch."

"Wha…" Jude tried to speak but his tongue couldn't catch up with the words his brain was forming. He shook his head dazedly, "What is this?"

"Firewhisky," The female answered amusedly. "You've never had this before?"

Jude inhaled deeply, trying to bring his senses back, "I've never-never h-had alcohol before. I think I-I think I drank too much." A light burp hit his throat, bringing the same taste of the Firewhiskey back onto his tongue and nose.

A hand landed high on his lap. The male sitting next to him, the one that had given him the alcohol in the first place, smirked, "You drank just the right amount. Now come on, tell us what makes you the Golden Boy of Gryffindor."

"I don't…" His eyes grew drowsy at the hands softly scratching his scalp. "Everyone-everyone calls me that. I don't-I don't know why."

The hand on his head moved to his jaw, the nails gently moving back and forth. "Very modest. You must be who everyone wants."

His head was tilted back. He met the eyes of the girl above him, her face blurry despite his glasses. She leaned down towards him. What was she doing? Did he have something on his mouth?

The room was thrown off balance when he was pulled from the couch. The Firewhisky toppled onto his shirt causing him to grimace at the stickiness that was to come. He blinked heavily, his eyes finding Emma's narrowed gaze.

"You shouldn't let them do that, Jude," Emma scolded lightly.

Jude tilted his head confusedly, gravity pressing on his brain, "What were they about to do? They were just talking to me."

"Oh, Jude," Emma sighed, shaking her head. She tugged on his hand and led him towards the exit. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"Why don't you just use mag-magic?"

Without answering him, she continued to lead him out of the room and to the Prefects bathroom. She told him to undress and shower while she went to tell James that they were done with the party.

The water hit his heated body. Each droplet sobered him, as if they were burning away at the alcohol in his system. He rubbed a hand over his face, still pondering on what would've happened if he stayed with the group he was with.

He didn't know what they were trying to do but it couldn't have been terrible, right? But if Emma had taken him away that quickly, it probably was pretty bad to be around them.

With a sigh, he left the shower and searched for the towel and clothes Emma had set out for him. He picked up the towel and dried off his face as he carefully stepped out of the stall. He groaned happily, feeling refreshed and much better now that the room wasn't spinning.

"Okay, so I told James that-" Emma halted as she stood in the middle of the room, her eyes wide. Slowly, her head tilted as she regarded what was in front of her.

Instinctively, Jude brought the towel down to cover his nether regions. His entire body flushed in embarrassment. "Emma, what are you doing?"

Emma snapped out of her daze, shaking her head wildly, "Sorry, sorry, Jude." Her cheeks burned brightly. "I just came to take you back to the common room if you were still drunk."

"I'm fine," Jude mumbled, putting his boxers on under his towel. "If you want to go back to the party, you can. I won't stop you." He smiled gratefully despite his embarrassment, "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Anytime, Jude," Emma smiled back. She blew out a breath, her eyes darting to his towel before she shook her head once more and made her way out of the bathroom.

Jude pinched one of his eyes shut as he scratched his head; that was the first time someone had seen him naked, and he hoped to Merlin that would be the last time.


	10. First Quidditch Match Between Schools

**Chapter 10**

His heart pounded in his chest, blood rushed in his ears. He placed a hand on his chest, trying to regulate his breathing. It wouldn't do well for his team if he passed out and left Scorpius to take his place. Everyone put their faith in him; his team and the teams he had beaten many times before. They believed he was going to win them the school cup.

And Merlin damn it, he was going to do it.

Without further ado, Jude got onto his broomstick and flew into the air with his new teammates. He gazed down at his new Hogwarts quidditch uniform. It wasn't bad; you couldn't go wrong with all black, but he did miss the red and gold he was used to.

Their opponent in the first match was none other than the students of Beauxbatons. While he knew students of Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz were much more intimidating, he also knew that Beauxbatons was nothing to sneeze at. He would never underestimate his opponent, and he couldn't do it now. His team was the best of Hogwarts, and they were the best of Beauxbatons.

The crowd cheered wildly. He took note of the bigger stands for the audience. The Hogwarts announcer, Jared Clark, tapped on the mic while announcers from the other schools followed in his example, all speaking their mother tongue.

Jared smiled as he spoke, " _Welcome everyone to the first annual Worldwide School Quidditch Tournament. For our first match, we have Hogwarts vs. Beauxbatons. Remember, whoever loses today will be out of the tournament for good. Whoever wins will move on closer to the school cup._ "

Cheers were heard all around. No matter the language barrier between many of the students, in their happiness, they were one.

" _Let's introduce the Hogwarts team. For our chasers, we have Ravenclaw Captain 7_ _th_ _year Joffrey King along with Ravenclaw 3_ _rd_ _year Melissa Oh, and Slytherin 7_ _th_ _year Danny Simmons. For the beaters, we have Hufflepuff Captain 5_ _th_ _year Donnie Maxwell and Hufflepuff 4_ _th_ _year Josh Hayes. Our keeper is Slytherin 6_ _th_ _year Miguel Salvatore, and our seeker is Gryffindor Captain 6_ _th_ _year Jude Porter!_ "

The Hogwarts crowd went wild at the names of their classmates and teammates, for those who weren't playing, while those of the other schools applauded politely.

Jude smiled at the familiar faces in the crowd and waved to them. As the names of the Beauxbatons players were announced, he took note of each of their faces, pressing it into his memory so, win or lose, he could congratulate them properly.

Below them, Professor Harmon and one of the Flying instructors from Beauxbatons gave them their rules and let the balls loose.

Jude quickly skirted out of the way as the chasers and beaters flew past him. He had to stay on the sidelines, keeping his eyes and ears open for the snitch. He glanced over at the Beauxbatons seeker and realized it was going to be a bit more difficult in this match.

When he went against the other houses in his school, he already knew how the other seekers operated. Scorpius was aggressive, Ellie was agile, and Andrews was just…not to insult him because he never wanted to insult anyone he held no ill will towards, but he was much too meek and weak willed when it came to catching the snitch. He was surprised Ravenclaw was still able to win a match with him as their seeker.

And he himself? He was just lucky, and he had to rely on that luck if he wanted to win this match.

" _That's 10 points to Hogwarts. Good on you, Hogwarts. Keep it up._ "

The familiar falling sensation hit him as he was pulled down abruptly. He gazed at the bludger that flew past him with wide eyes. Oh Merlin no, not again. Why couldn't the bludgers just leave him alone? Josh and Donnie did know they were on the same team now, right?

" _With that shot, Beauxbatons takes the lead with 50-60. Come on, Hogwarts, I know you're better than this._ "

After that, he spent the majority of the game dodging the bludgers that flew at him. It was hard to keep his mind in the game and his ears open for the snitch when the bludger kept cutting the air next to his ears.

Boisterous cheers hit his ears. " _Alright, Hogwarts! They are now back in the lead with 100-90. Don't stop now._ "

The next time the bludger flew at him, he was pulled back quickly but his eyes caught the gold winged ball flying right next to it. Immediately, he shot off towards it.

" _Porter has found the snitch but Durand is right on his tail. Don't let her intimidate you, Porter, you're better than this. Just keep your eyes on the snitch!_ "

Rolling his eyes, Jude pressed his chest harder into his broom, speeding up. The bludger flew away, leaving just the snitch in front of him. He narrowed his gaze, keeping his eyes on the gold ball.

All he had to do was reach his hand out and touch it. Just one touch and he would win the whole match. The chasers from both schools were still scoring points, but if he could get the snitch, he would win it for them.

The bludger made a round trip around the pitch before flying at him again, now aimed fully at his face. If he moved now, Durand would more than likely be able to catch up and get the snitch herself.

He growled, a sound unknown to him, and lifted one hand from his broom but kept his eyes on the snitch, "I'm tired of these stupid bludgers!" He threw his hand forward the moment the bludger got closer.

Everyone watched in shock as he slammed his fist into the bludger. The crack of his fingers was heard around the pitch.

It was the best distraction he could've used. The crowd and the players, including seeker Durand, stared in disbelief. Unknown to it all, Jude flew over to the snitch and caught it easily in his uninjured hand.

With a grin, he lifted his hand in the air to show everyone. The happiness that burst in overshadowed his previous anxiety and helped him forget the blooming pain in his fingers and hand.

He blinked, clueless when everyone kept gaping, "What?"

Jared cleared his throat, his voice in a squeak, " _A-and there you have it, folks. In a stunning display of true Gryffindor behavior, Porter has caught the snitch which makes the score 270-150. Congratulations, Hogwarts, you're going to the next round._ "

Numbly, the crowd cheered once more. The Hogwarts students shook themselves out of their stupor and chanted, "POR-TER! POR-TER! POR-TER!"

Jude smiled in appreciation as he landed on the ground with the other players. He lifted his bloody, broken hand. "Anyone want to take me to the infirmary?"


	11. Jude and Bonnie

_(TW: Past Rape/Non-con. Past child abuse. Past sexual abuse.)  
_

 **Chapter 11**

Jude winced at the tightening of the bandages around his hand. Pomfrey gave him a disapproving glare as she tied off the bandages. He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

Pomfrey sighed, standing up once she finished, "Mr. Porter, sometimes I swear you get yourself hurt on purpose."

"It was a bludger," Jude tried to reason.

"It's always a bludger," Pomfrey shook her head. A ghost of a smile played on her lips as she gazed at him, taking in his new appearance. "You've grown so much since the first time you were here. And as much as I enjoy your visits, I wish they were under better circumstances."

Jude nodded, fiddling with his bandages, "Me too, Madam Pomfrey."

She ruffled his hair with a small smile, "No more punching bludgers, alright?" She began to step away only to blink, remembering something, "Oh, you have a visitor."

"A visitor?" Jude asked confusedly. When James, Emma, or any of his teammates would visit him in the infirmary, they would always just rush in. Who needed to use formality to see him?

"Yes. She claims to be your mother."

Jude's eyes widened as Bonnie stepped into the infirmary. A hot spear of anger burned in his chest; not so different from the roaring he always felt when around Lazarus. He swallowed the lump in his throat and clenched his jaw tensely.

Bonnie stepped over to him, her hands fidgeting with the pockets of her jeans. She exhaled sharply, "Looks like you're just as reckless as I was when I played."

The comparison caused his blood to boil. He gazed at his lap and clenched his uninjured hand into tight fist. "Why are you here?"

"I…" Bonnie sat down on the other cot next to him. She tugged at her fingers, gazing at everything but him. "I heard you got hurt. I got worried."

The spear grew heavier in his chest. "You shouldn't have come. I'm not your son or even your friend. You didn't want me." He hated himself for throwing that back at her because he supported the fact that she wanted her own life, one without a child or a significant other to come home to.

"You said you wouldn't hold that against me," Bonnie said, her defensive tone grating on his already frayed nerves.

"I don't! I don't," Jude reiterated. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt." Tears stung his eyes. "It hurts to know that after my dad died, you wouldn't have entertained the idea of taking me in."

"I didn't want-"

"A child, I know that. But I didn't have to be that. You could've taken me in, given me to someone else, and let me live in ignorance," Jude sobbed, hating every word coming out of his mouth. "But instead you let a horrible man take me. A man who beat repeatedly when I didn't do what he asked me to. A man who touched me every night. If it weren't for my magic, he would've-he would've…" His tears streamed down his face and his sobs wracked his body.

He hadn't thought of Piers Polkiss in a long time. Sometimes he would mention him and the way he treated him, but he only ever scratched the surface of the stories of his abuse. Piers would slap him when he talked back, threw him in a snowbank when he threw a snowball at his face and left him there until morning, gave him a room with a giant hole in the ceiling where it would rain or snow down on him, gifted him with a mattress thinner than paper, sometimes wouldn't feed him, and would beat him when he had a bad day at work and needed to take it out on someone defenseless.

But he never, not once, told anyone of the terror he felt every night as a child when Piers would come home drunk. He never told anyone about how Piers would open his door; one Jude couldn't lock because Piers took the doorknob off, and would take off his pants as he knelt above him on his bed.

He never told anyone that he would cry in his pillow after it was all done, when he laid there bloodied and bruised. He never told anyone that he would wish and wish and wish that someone would save him, that someone would take him away from all of the pain and suffering Piers put on him. But even as a child, he knew nothing good ever came from just wishing.

He was 5 when it first happened. It happened almost every night after and he could do nothing about it until he was 7 when suddenly his door had a knob and would lock itself. Even when Piers would break off the knob or somehow break down the door, he never once stepped into his room again; not for a lack of trying, but something always kept him out. He later learned that it was his magic acting up to protect him from Piers.

While that part of his abuse had stopped, the verbal and physical abuse was still dealt upon him every day. But he persevered and let it roll of his back because a part of his mind knew that sooner or later he would leave that house and never look back.

His saving grace came when he was 11. He was grateful to Hannah, Neville, McGonagall, Hogwarts, and his friends ever since despite the many injuries and heartache he suffered through since starting at the school.

In his mind, no matter what Lazarus threw at him, he would much rather take another arrow to the hand, a knife to the abdomen, or another death duel than ever have to deal with Piers Polkiss ever again.

"I'm so sorry, Jude," Bonnie whispered brokenly, reaching a hand out to comfort him.

Jude shifted on the cot under him, backing away from her hand. He wiped his eyes, hating the stickiness of his cheeks and the exhaustion pulling at the back of his eyes that crying always brought him.

He sniffled, his throat aching, "It's fine. You don't have to be sorry. You chose what life you wanted, and you didn't want me in it. I understand that. I respect that." He gazed into her eyes, his dark blues hitting her lighter ones, "I chose mine, and I don't want you in it. I hope you respect my decision too."

A moment of tense silence filled the room. Bonnie exhaled deeply, standing, "I just wanted to make an effort."

"You didn't have to," Jude replied lightly. "You're a bit late too."

"Right," Bonnie nodded. She set a hesitant hand on his shoulder, a small smile on her lips as she gazed down at him. "If you need me, you know where to find."

Jude nodded his thanks as she walked out of the infirmary. He gave himself a few minutes to get his bearings back and to push those horrid thoughts to the back of his mind. No one needed to know about this, especially with a quidditch after party happening in the Room of Requirement.

He stood from the cot, ready to leave. He smiled at Pomfrey who unfortunately heard every single thing from that conversation, "I'll try my best not to be in here after the next quidditch game."

He had one foot out the door when Pomfrey called him back. He turned around to find her gazing at him sympathetically. "If you ever need to talk, Mr. Porter, don't hesitate to come visit me," She offered.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," He replied sincerely before taking his leave.

A familiar head of red hair caught his attention when he left the infirmary. Jude blinked, eyes wide in surprise, "Lily? What are you doing here?"

Lily smiled slightly, rubbing her arm, "I offered to take you to the party. James and Emma wanted to wait but I said I would. I hope you don't mind."

A pool of dread swam in his stomach. He licked his dry lips, his voice wavering, "Did you hear everything in there?"

"I…I did," Lily nodded hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Jude."

He sighed, shaking his head, "It's okay. I was probably pretty loud." Her hand grasped his, catching his attention. He glanced at her, a sharp pang hitting his chest at her sorrow filled eyes.

She shook her head as well, her eyes shining with tears, "No, Jude. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that happened to you."

He pushed back to the tears that stung his eyes yet again. He didn't want to cry. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to break down in front of Lily who he was sure had enough problems of her own. This was his cross to bear and…and…

Damn it.

Lily wrapped around his quaking body. She brought his head to her shoulder, letting him coat her cardigan with tears. He hugged her back tightly, taking in her amber scent that wafted off her clothes. His body slowly relaxed as he let out one last sob.

He pulled away, wiping his eyes. "Thank you," He whispered, voice thick but filled with gratefulness. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," Lily replied, rubbing his arm. "Now come on, let's get you back the common room."

"What about the party?"

"I'm not really in the party mood."

A smile came onto his lips as he gazed at Lily's back as she walked ahead of him. There were no words to express how happy he was to have Lily in his life. Just the thought of her caused a massive fluttering in his stomach and his heart to skip a beat. He didn't know what it meant exactly but all he knew was that he was beyond happy to be in her presence right now.


	12. What We Smell

**Chapter 12**

When classes started again, Jude felt a bit better about himself. He didn't know exactly why, however. Maybe it was because he finally told someone about Piers had done to him when he was a child. He never expected to tell the woman who left him and his father when he was born, nor did he expect that Lily would hear and offer him comfort after, but he encountered stranger things before.

But he felt a bit lighter now. Like the weight of his past lifted just a bit off his chest, allowing him to breathe a little easier now. Now maybe…maybe he could tell James and Emma what happened.

"Jude, hey!"

Jude halted his steps and turned around. He smiled at Chloe who made her way over to him, her hair chasing behind her. "Hey, Chloe," He greeted, his smile stretching a little more at her disheveled appearance. "Wake up late this morning?"

Chloe ran a hand through her hair, glaring light at him. "Yeah. I was doing a lot of studying last night that I lost track of time." She took in his appearance and raised an eyebrow at his unkempt attire. "Did you wake up late too?"

"No," Jude replied confusedly. "This is how I normally look. Except on the first day 'cause Emma always wants us to look better than we usually do."

"That explains it," Chloe stated jokingly. "So, Potions?"

Jude nodded, "Let's get to it."

The two got to class right after James and Emma who apologized to Jude for making him walk by himself. He assured them it was okay and that he had Chloe for company. That only had James glaring at the blonde again.

They all went to their seats. James nudged Chloe out of the way so he could sit with Jude during the lesson. Chloe rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Emma.

Professor Young began the lesson with talks of love potions. Jude was nervous since the last potion they made was a regular one and he had messed up one of the steps. James and Emma got it down easily, but he always struggled a bit with it.

"Today we will be taking on Amortentia," She began. "Now, if you did your reading that I assigned in our last class together, you will know what's coming today…"

Her voice was tuned out by Jude who laid his arms and head on the desk as he stared at the cauldron in front of him.

It was filled with the potion her assumed the professor was talking about. He had done the reading she assigned but with everything going on over the weekend, it took a backseat and got lost.

The scent of the potion slithered its way into his nostrils. He took a deep breath, taking in the multitude of smells it produced.

It was the meat he was served at the welcoming feast at the beginning of the year; he could already feel his mouth watering. It was butterbeer, already warming him by just the smell of it. It was his trust Lightningbolt, keeping him in the air no matter what was thrown at him. It was an amber scent, one he had gotten used to recently and always breathed in deeply whenever he was in its presence.

Funny, it smelled like-

"Lily," Jude mumbled, his blooming grin hidden by his arms.

James furrowed his brow, staring at his friend incredulously, "What'd you say?"

Jude shook his head as he chuckled, "Nothing, mate. It's nothing." He took in his friend's pinched expression as he too gazed at the cauldron. He tilted his head curiously, "What's got you annoyed?"

"Not annoyed," James muttered, setting his head in his hand. "Just bored by being told what I already know." He glanced at the desk next to them.

Jude followed his gaze, snickering silently at Emma's flustered appearance after she smelled the cauldron as well. He grinned giddily; maybe now the two would finally get a darn clue.

Once class was over, Jude walked a bit slower than his friends in hopes that maybe they would finally tell each other how they felt. He kept pace with Chloe to keep her company since her boyfriend didn't have Potions.

Speaking of…

"So what'd you smell in the cauldron?" Jude asked. When she didn't answer, he moved his gaze over to her and felt his stomach constrict uncomfortably at her red rimmed eyes. He frowned in concern, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Chloe sniffled, wiping her eyes in a way that didn't mess up her makeup, "Nothing. It's nothing, Jude. I'm fine."

He put his hand on her shoulder, gazing sympathetically, "Hey, if you're hurting, I want to help you. You're my friend and I don't want you to ever be sad."

She gazed at him for a long moment before she grabbed his hands and dragged him the courtyard. He followed her willingly, wondering what it was that she was going to tell him. Did it have to do with her boyfriend?

"Okay," Chloe breathed shakily once they found a spot outside that was away from the other students relaxing outside. She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes once more, "You know how Amortentia is the strongest love potion in the wizarding world and that whatever you smell in it are things that you like and love?"

He didn't know that, but it did put a lot of things in perspective. Not wanting to change the subject to his ignorance, he nodded for her to continue.

Chloe pressed her lips into a thin line as she vainly tried to hold back her tears, "I didn't…I didn't smell anything that connected to Ethan." She swallowed thickly, "I smelled the leather from my dad's favorite jacket. The honey my mom always put on her sandwiches. I even smelled my cat. But no matter how many times I sniffed, nothing was about Ethan."

As she broke down into sobs in front of him, he instinctively stepped forward and gathered her in his arms, embracing her tightly. He didn't know if she was comfortable with it and knew he should've asked first, but she was crying so hard he was surprised she was able to still breathe.

He never wanted his friends to hurt, especially because of some boys. Boys were stupid, and girls like Chloe and Emma deserved better.

* * *

"CASTELOBRUXO!" Jude screamed excitedly as he stood in the stands for the Durmstrang v. Castelobruxo game the next weekend. He clapped his hands, whooping when the chasers of said team flew past the Hogwarts stand.

"DURMSTRANG!" James shouted back, knowing it would irritate his friend. No matter how much it annoyed Jude, he was never going to cheer for Castelobruxo when his idol Viktor Krum used to be a student from there.

Jude sent him a dark look before turning to Emma, asking, "Why are the majority of the Ilvermorny students gone again?"

Emma chuckled, "For Thanksgiving, Jude. It's a holiday in November that only the states celebrate."

"But why did the Canadians of Ilvermorny leave in October?"

"That's when their Thanksgiving is."

James grunted, his eyes going back and forth with the quaffle, "Canadians are weird. And I hate Americans."

Emma rolled her eyes, "James, you shouldn't be mean to a whole country's people just because you don't like Chloe."

"That's not why I don't like them," James grumbled embarrassedly when Jude pouted at him. "It's because they're so backwards in everything they do. Not because Holt is trying to steal my best friend."

"Aw, James," Jude cooed, wrapping his arms around his annoyed best friend. "Chloe's not stealing me away. She's just-CASTELOBRUXO!" He yelled in James' ear, cutting off his own sentence when the players for the school scored once again.

He laughed sheepishly at James' glare, "Sorry, mate."

James grinned slightly and shoved him off him, "It doesn't matter how much you cheer, mate, Durmstrang is gonna win."

" _And Baccarin has caught the snitch! Castelobruxo wins with 410-320._ _They will move onto the next round._ "

"Woo-hoo!" Jude cheered with the other students from the winning school. He waved his arms in the air, beaming when the players acknowledged his cheering.

James dropped his head back, sighing, "Never bet against Jude."


	13. Christmas

**Chapter 13**

"You excited for Christmas break?" James asked amusedly, watching Jude bounce in his seat excitedly. The moment the train started moving was the moment Jude was all over the place, eager to already get off.

Jude beamed, "I'm always excited for Christmas break. I get to see Hannah again. I get to hang out with you and not have to worry about homework. It's the best." He scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I still think it's weird that Ilvermorny students got to go home more than once during the semester."

Emma shook her head, "It's just how they do things in the states, Jude. It's how it goes for the Muggle schools as well."

"I wonder how different it is to be a muggle in the states," Jude pondered. "I mean, Chloe says that they call them No-Majs."

James grunted, "Like I said, Americans are so backwards."

Jude rolled his eyes good naturedly, changing the subject, "So, what's your family gonna be doing over the break? Anything exciting?"

"Well, Teddy and Victoire are getting married the first week of January."

A beat of silence passed.

"What?!" Jude reared his head back, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"That's what I forgot," James muttered, scratching his chin. "I meant to tell you over the summer but you were busy working on the house, so I was gonna tell you when school started but then everything with the foreign schools took my mind off it. Sorry." He snapped his fingers, remembering something else. "Oh, and Teddy wants you to be a groomsman."

Jude huffed out an incredulous breath, "This isn't something you can just shrug off, James. This is important. It's something I should've known earlier."

James shrugged, "I'm telling you now. Doesn't that count?"

A spike of irritation hit Jude's chest, but as quick as it came, he smothered it down until it was only an ember of emotion. James was forgetful, he thought to himself. Despite it being important, if it didn't pertain to the immediate future, James didn't care to remember it. He wasn't going to let this bother him.

His eyes cut to Emma who watched the scene uncomfortably. He narrowed his eyes, "Did you know about the wedding?"

Her hesitance to answer the question was all he needed. He sighed roughly, pressing his fingers to his temple to massage the pounding headache away. Being angry was stupid and destructive, he repeated in his mind. He knew James and his tendencies, he's lived with them for 5 years and none of them had made him love his friend less. Now wasn't the time to be annoyed by them.

The fact that James told Emma before he told him made him slightly happy, Jude tried to reassured himself. It meant that the two were talking more now instead of James just sulking all summer because of his jealousy.

He mentally sighed and leaned back in his seat. This was going to be a long Christmas break.

* * *

As it turned out, James and Emma weren't the only ones who forgot to tell him about the wedding. Teddy sent him a letter but it ended up going to the Leaky Cauldron where Hannah got it. She meant to give it to Hestia, but she got so busy that she forgot to. Neville had thought Hannah had told him already which is why he never brought it up. Lily thought James told him and she hadn't seen him much around school.

Jude told himself that James wasn't the only one to blame and willed the irritation and annoyance at the situation away. It wouldn't help anyone to dwell on it. He'd just talk to Teddy and Victoire to get caught up on everything.

The Longbottom family arrived at the Burrow on Christmas Eve. A pleasant warmth blossomed in Jude's chest at the sight of the large home; one that always made him feel welcome even if there were some who didn't like him.

Mrs. Weasley greeted them happily and expressed her shock at seeing Jude's taller and broader frame step through the door wearing the now small Weasley jumper she had knitted for him years ago.

"You grew faster than a Hippogriff," Molly commented as she hugged him tightly. She pulled away and patted his cheek with a smile. "Not to worry. James asked me to make another jumper for you."

Jude beamed, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Weasley." He tugged at the jumper that was stretched to the seams on his torso. "This is one of my favorites. I'd hate if I had to go through another Christmas without it."

Molly pinched his cheeks, cooing. "Such a sweetheart." She released him and gently pushed him into the house. "Come now. The food is almost done, and if I remember correctly, you love to eat as much as my kids and grandkids do."

The thought of food had Jude walking into the Burrow with a skip in his steps.

After dinner, every gathered in the large living room near the tree. Jude watched with a wide grin, his happiness through the roof whenever someone got exactly what they wanted. The bright smile on their faces was something he always wanted to see.

He was especially happy that he got to buy presents this year with his own money. He gave Emma her gift which was thick, limited edition books that she had wanted so she could touch up on her studies. She wanted a job in the Ministry and these were just the books she needed.

For James, he got him a Firebolt Supreme. It was one of the best and it was hard to get but he would do anything for James. Judging from the bright grin on his friend's face, he knew he made the right choice.

He got Lily a Thunderbolt which was the rival for the Firebolt Supreme. He didn't know what else to get her, so he figured something from their mutual interests would do well. Hearing her giggle happily as she thanked him sent something funny fluttering in his stomach.

He must've eaten too much.

As thanks for their hospitality and friendship, he got his parents, the whole Weasley family and their kids gifts. Heck, he even got Albus and Harry something. They didn't show much appreciation but he didn't care. He was just happy to see everyone else happy.

Before they went to bed, Jude approached Teddy and Victoire who sat on one of the many couches, sorting through their presents and whispering to each other.

He smiled when he got their attention, "Sorry I never answered your request about being a groomsman. No one even told me you were getting married."

Teddy waved him off with an easy smile, "Neville told us everything. I knew I shouldn't have relied on James to make good on his word. He's so forgetful."

"That he is," Jude chuckled lightly. He bowed his head. "I would love to be a groomsman, Teddy. It would be an honor."

"Thank you, Jude," Teddy replied.

Victoire spoke up as she continued sorting the presents, "Just know that you're gonna have to wake up early for the rehearsals. We're getting married before the break is up, so we need to get everything ready and we can't have anyone being late. You up for it?"

Jude grinned, nodding eagerly, "More than anything. I've never been to a wedding before. I can't wait to see it."


	14. Romance in the Air

**Chapter 14**

The day after Christmas had everyone working nonstop for the wedding. Hannah and Neville were able to go back to the Leaky Cauldron since Hannah needed to go back to work, and while they told Jude he could easily just come back home with them so that he didn't have to wake up so early in the morning, he took his groomsman position seriously and told them he'd stay at the Burrow until the wedding was over.

While he did feel extremely tired throughout the day, he felt it was worth it. Seeing the magic everyone put in putting everything together had him in a state of awe, one he felt he hadn't left since he started Hogwarts.

"Crazy, huh?" Teddy piped up as he stood next to him, the two watching the Weasley boys setting up the tables and chairs. The blue haired male grinned, "It feels like just yesterday Victoire and I started dating. I still can't believe we're getting married."

Jude smiled, glancing at the other male, "It must be amazing." He clarified when Teddy sent him a questioning gaze, "I mean, having someone you love, to see every day and knowing that you're home no matter where you are, just as long as you're with them." His eyes stung with tears. "That sounds like a dream."

Teddy's grin formed into a soft smile as he patted Jude's shoulder. "That's exactly how it feels every time I see Victoire." He moved his hand to nudge Jude's arm. "Don't worry so much over it, Jude. You have all the time in the world to find someone you love."

Jude blinked confusedly, "What? I wasn't talking about me. I was talking about my biological parents." He waved his hand when Teddy grew confused. "Never mind. It's a very long story and I think we have to be getting ready."

"Right, right," Teddy nodded, throwing away his questions. He handed the younger male a bag, "Your suit's in here. Don't ruin it before the wedding or else Victoire and Mrs. Weasley will have my head."

"I'll try my best," Jude replied, taking the bag.

He walked into the Burrow and found a spare room to change. He got the slacks, socks, shirt, and shoes on, but the tie gave him difficulty, like always.

He huffed in irritation, letting the tie lie around his neck. He grabbed the suit jacket and went downstairs in hopes to find Emma so she could help him with the tie. He'd ask James but the last time he did his tie, it was crooked and Emma scolded the both of them even though the teachers didn't care about their appearance.

"Emma!" He called out as he walked down to the second floor. "Are you in one of the rooms? I don't want to be yelling if you're not-" He pushed the door to one of the rooms open.

"Jude!"

He slammed the door shut, his eyes wide. "Sorry!" He shouted weakly. He quickly walked down the stairs to the first floor. He walked outside, giggling childishly and pumping his fist.

They were going to…James and Emma were kissing. Finally, after so many years of dealing with James' sulking and Emma's skittish behavior regarding anything pertaining to James in a romantic way, they were kissing. Before he barged in. He slapped a hand to his forehead, cursing his unfortunate timing.

"What's got you looking so chagrined?" Ginny asked amusedly as she watched Jude go through a small face journey.

Jude chuckled sheepishly, messing with his still undone tie, "Just my inability to do a knot. I meant to ask Emma but she's…busy."

Ginny grinned, "Right." She tugged at the cloth, raising an eyebrow. "I can do it for you if you want. I always have to tie them for my boys anyway. I'm surprised they don't use magic to tie their shoes."

"I guess I like the muggle way of things sometimes," Jude muttered as he stepped forward, letting Ginny tie the cloth around his neck.

"I'll never know why," Ginny joked, straightening the tie once she was finished. "You ready for this?"

Jude blew out a breath, realizing belatedly that his heart was pounding in his chest, "As I'll ever be. You?"

Ginny grinned, "One of my nieces and my godson are getting married. I couldn't be happier." She bopped his nose. "Unless, of course, my own kids were getting married, but that won't be coming for a long while."

That sentence caused Jude's face to flush, not only from the remembrance of the kiss he interrupted but also from the feelings he realized he had pertaining to another red head. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling slightly when Ginny chuckled.

He put on his suit jacket, completing the outfit just as James and Emma strolled out of the house, their clothes looking immaculate but their faces flushed.

Jude grinned as James walked over to him, "Hey, mate."

"Don't give me that look," James grumbled, though the smile stretching on his lips took the indignant tone out of his words. "You interrupted us."

"And I'm sorry for that," Jude apologized once more. Heart full and tittering with giddiness, he threw himself at his friend, hugging him tightly. He beamed into his shoulder, "Oh, I'm so happy for the two of you. You finally got a clue."

James snorted, rolling his eyes as he hugged him back, "Like you're one to talk. You're the one who gets hounded by literally everyone from every school and yet you still don't realize they're hitting on you."

"I've never been hit by any of them," Jude stated confusedly as he pulled away. "Have they tried to hit me and I just haven't seen it?"

"This is what I'm talking about," James shook his head with a grin. "Seriously, Jude, do you know what romance is?"

Jude frowned and narrowed his eyes playfully, "Of course. It's how I knew you were in love with Emma since our second year." He shared a laugh with a friend.

Once they quieted down, he placed his hands on James' shoulders, his blue eyes shining with sincerity behind his glasses. "I really am happy for you, mate; you and Emma. You two deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, mate," James smiled, his brown eyes shining with the same sincerity. He glanced over at the area where the reception would be held. "You ready for this?"

Jude shrugged, following his gaze, "Not like I have much of a choice. What about you?"

"As long as I got you and Emma by my side, I can take a few people screaming at me for another week."

"Same here."


	15. Broken

**Chapter 15**

The wedding was beautiful. At least, in Jude's opinion it was. The arch, the seats, the flowers and the rest of decorations; gorgeous. He was glad he got to help out in any way he could for this amazing wedding. Teddy and Victoire were his friends, and seeing them getting married had his heart full of emotions he didn't know he could have.

Throughout the wedding, he stood next to James, Harry, and Albus. His forehead was almost melded into James' shoulder so he didn't have to feel the glares of his least favorite Potters. He shared smiles with Ginny, Lily, and Emma, and ignored everyone's questions when he started crying during the vows.

Now he sat with James and Emma at the reception, watching Teddy and Victoire dance for the first time as husband and wife. Tears still spilled out of his eyes but he ignored them and everyone's glances. The happiness in him couldn't be contained and the only safe way to let it out was through crying. This was probably the happiest he ever felt, not including the times he and his team won the quidditch cup or when James and Emma finally got together.

The only thing he hated about the tears was that they kept getting into his food.

"You okay there, mate?" James asked as he watched his friend eat slowly. "You sure you don't want to slow down? I can see your tears falling into your food as we speak."

Jude sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, "I'm fine. It's just hard getting my emotions in check right now."

"Aw, Jude," Emma cooed, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "You're very sensitive." She giggled at his pout, "I mean that in a good way, Jude. You're not afraid to show your emotions, and you love things and people fully. That's a good quality to have."

"Thanks, Emma," Jude smiled, reaching over James to give her a hug. He stuck his tongue out to James playfully when he feigned a glare at the two of them. He glanced at the two of them curiously, "You guys gonna dance?"

James barked a laugh while Emma blushed, "Mate, we don't know how to dance. We're not getting on that dance floor to embarrass ourselves."

Jude blew a raspberry, "You don't need to know how to dance to have a good time, especially at a wedding." A mischievous smile came onto his lips, "But you know what, I think I have just the song for you two."

He stood from his seat and clapped with everyone once the Husband & Wife dance was over. He ignored the last few tears that escaped his eyes and walked over to the couple, his stomach wiggling in anticipation.

The couple beamed when they caught sight of him. "Jude," Teddy grinned, reaching over to pat his back enthusiastically. "You gonna dance with us?"

"Maybe later," Jude promised with a light smile. He fidgeted with his fingers. "I…um…I was wondering if I could sing a song for everyone."

That caught them by surprise. Victoire smiled beautifully, "You sing, Jude?"

He nodded, "Don't worry. If you let me sing, I'll make sure it's a love song."

She chuckled, placing a hand on his arm, "Well, as long as it's a love song, we don't mind." A glint came into her bright eyes as she smiled, "You singing for anyone special in your life?"

"Everyone's special in my life," Jude replied confusedly, feeling the same sting of irritation when the two laughed at his response.

"Don't worry about it, Jude," Teddy laughed. "Just get up on stage and show us what you got. I'll announce it to everyone that you're singing."

Jude bowed his head. "Thank you. I'll go get my guitar." He quickly made his way over to the Burrow, nodding to everyone he passed.

Once he got to James' room, he rifled through the small amount of things he had left in a bag for when he slept over. He found the tiny box he stuffed inside and opened it. Inside was the guitar Emma bought him for his birthday last year. Neville put a shrinking spell on it so he could bring it wherever he wanted to. He only brought it to the Burrow to show James and Emma the song he had been working on, but this worked too.

Taking the small instrument out, he rushed out of the room and back to where the reception was being held. He asked Fred to bring the guitar back to its regular shape. Once it was big enough, he placed the strap over his head and walked onto the stage where Teddy finished announcing.

He smiled timidly at everyone gathered on the dance floor and began strumming softly, singing, " _W-wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you._ " His voice rose slowly with each word.

He ignored the lump in his throat as everyone stared at him while they slowly swayed to his voice. " _Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you._ "

The lump slowly dissolved as he watched James and Emma, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Teddy and Victoire, Neville and Hannah, and all of the other couples at the reception dance to the song, gazing into each other's eyes deeply.

" _Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling so it goes, these things are meant to be._ " A pleasant warmth hit his chest when his deep blue eyes locked with a familiar set of bright brown ones that accompanied red hair. He grinned unconsciously as he continued, his voice growing sure and confident, " _So take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you._ "

He glanced over at the newest couple on the dance floor and beamed at the happiness on their faces, feeling his own joy shine with theirs. " _Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling so it goes, these things were meant to be._ "

His voice grew stronger along with his strumming as he hit the last lines. " _So take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you. For I can't help falling in love with you._ "

He softly spoke the last line, " _For I can't help falling in love with you._ "

The applauding and cheering he got once he finished surprised him immensely. He had never sung in front of an audience before and the only reason he wanted to sing was because he wanted Emma and James on the dance floor. He didn't think anyone else would like his voice or his guitar skills.

"Thank you," He gave one last smile before getting off the stage. He thanked George who took his guitar with a promise to put it in James' room.

Before he could get back to his table, he was bombarded by Emma who threw herself into his arms. He grinned widely, hugging her back, "What's this for?"

Emma pulled back, smiling amusedly, "When I gave you the guitar, I didn't think you'd end up this good." She punched his shoulder lightly. "You could get a job in the music business if you really wanted to."

"I don't know about that," He scratched the back of his head, blushing bashfully. "I don't even know what I want to do after I graduate."

"Speaking of school," Emma cut in before he could change the topic to literally anything else. "How are you shaping up in preparation for Apparition class?"

Just the thought of Apparating caused his stomach to drop. He grimaced, "Since the break started, I've been practicing with Neville but I keep throwing up right after. I want to pass the class, but my stomach doesn't agree."

"So you can Apparate? Well, you're ahead of me on that one."

"We can practice after the wedding if you want," Jude said, taking her hand. "I promise to show you everything Neville has taught me." He glanced over at James who enthusiastically ate some of the dessert they had out. "Maybe James will come too."

As if he heard them, James moved his gaze to them and grinned around the pastry he stuffed into his mouth. He stood up abruptly, sending the plate onto Albus' lap. He winced, apologizing as he grabbed a napkin to clean up the mess, "Sorry, Al. I'll get you some-"

"Damn it, James!" Albus cried, his face red with anger. He threw James' napkin away from him and stomped out of the reception, garnering many stares.

Harry stood up, glaring heatedly at his first born. "James, a word." He ignored Ginny's reasonable words and grabbed his son's sleeve roughly. He dragged James out of everyone's sight.

Everyone seemed to ignore it as they continued on to what they were doing before. Jude tried to ignore the twisting in his stomach and succeeded until he saw James storm past them, his cheek adorning a large red handprint.

Feeling the ugly rage he kept buried since his childhood slowly seep out, Jude stood from his seat and walked over to where he knew Harry was. Outside, they stood a little further away from the reception, far enough where no one could hear them unless they shouted over the loud music.

The moment Harry caught sight of him, he glared, his green eyes dark and filled with an anger he had only ever seen in the worst of people. "What do you want, Porter?" He spat out the younger male's last name like it was a curse.

Jude inhaled sharply, gathering his courage, "What's your problem, Mr. Potter?" He tried to match his glare. "James has done nothing but try to impress you and Mrs. Potter since he started school and all you ever do is tear him down. I'm fine with you insulting me but I won't stand here and watch you abuse James."

"You know nothing about abuse," Harry hissed, stepping towards him.

"I know everything about abuse," Jude countered, standing his ground. He clenched his fists tightly, pushing his memories to the back of his mind. "I know it's not my place and James would be furious if he found out I was confronting you, but I'm not going to stand on the sidelines while you show the world your love for a dead man."

At Harry's confusion, he clarified, "You named James after your father and godfather, both men who loved you so much that they gave up their lives to save you. You named Albus after a man who left you with a family who hated you and a man who wanted to fuck your mother."

"Shut your mouth!" Harry bellowed. "You know nothing of Severus Snape. Don't talk as if you know him. He was a brave man!"

"He was not!" Jude shouted back, his heart pounding faster with each word. "Brave is my dad who was scared to death of Snape, a man he had to see every day because he was his teacher, but faced him head on no matter what.

"Brave is a pureblooded wizard who chose to fight for muggleborns instead of joining a group made to eradicate them despite it being easier for him and his family. Brave is a man who laid down his life for his wife and child to protect them.

"You know nothing of brave men, Mr. Potter and you never will if you keep wishing your mother chose Severus Snape, a cowardice man who chose Death Eater over your mother, over your father, a man who loved you and your mother with every part of his being."

Jude fumed, "You're holding onto their ghosts, comparing Snape to James Potter. That's why you treat Albus better than James. If you wanted so much to be Snape's son, you should've changed your name to Harry Snape."

Harry snarled, "You shut your damn mouth, Porter."

"Harry Snape! Harry Severus Snape!" Jude yelled for everyone to hear. He smirked, the rage he held inside of him for years taking control of his every word and movement, "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it, Mr. Snape?"

One moment he was smirking, the next his face was exploding with pain. He blinked heavily, one of his ears ringing. He lifted a hand to his nose when he felt something warm coat his lips. He swallowed dryly at the sight of blood on his fingers.

Before he could process what happened, another punch was thrown at his face courtesy of a rage filled Harry Potter. He was tackled to the ground suddenly, his world tilting at an angle that left him lightheaded.

Jude grabbed Harry's wrists, trying to claw his hands off his throat. The air in his system cut off as Harry proceeded to choke the life out of him. As he tried to loosen the hands around his throat, he caught sight of Harry's eyes. His heart stuttered in his chest, this time not from the oxygen leaving him.

The crazed look that filled Harry's green eyes was the same one that Piers always had when he would scream at him, or beat him, or…or…

A familiar roaring filled his chest. With a strangled grunt and much effort, Jude slammed his knee into Harry's abdomen, catching the older male off guard. His hands loosened around Jude's throat, giving the younger wizard a chance to breathe regularly again and throw a punch in Harry's face.

Harry hit the ground, blinking himself out of a daze. He flinched, confused at seeing Jude kneeling over him. He barely got his mouth open before Jude threw a strong punch to his face causing blood to leak from his nose and lips.

Neither noticed a small black cloud floating above them. No one, not even those who rushed outside to get the two off each other, noticed when the cloud latched itself onto James, seeping into his skin.

"Hey!"

Jude stopped, the roaring in his chest going silent. He swallowed roughly, staring down at Harry's bloody face. He gazed at his shaking fist, dread flooding his veins at the sight of blood on it.

He backed away and stood up unsteadily. His eyes darted from each person who ran outside, taking in their horrified expressions. James, however, was a different story.

James glared at his friend, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"James, I-" Jude tried to explained.

"You were what? Beating up my father like the freak you are?" The words cut him like a knife. "Get the hell out of here."

Emma shook her head, grabbing James' hand as Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and Albus crowded around Harry, "James, don't-"

James took his hand out of her hold. "No, Emma. He thinks he can just come in here and beat my father because he has anger issues." He turned his attention back to Jude. "My father has been nothing but civil to you. Just because you're broken doesn't mean you can break my family." He spat in disgust, "You probably killed your father, and you were jealous so you tried to kill mine."

"James…" Jude breathed in disbelief, tears streaming down his face, mixing with the blood around his mouth. "Please…"

"Go. Get out," James sneered. He shouted when the other male stood frozen, "I said get out of here!"

Jude gazed at the others, noticing each and every one of them, including Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, Lily, the rest of the Weasley children and grandchildren, Emma, and his own parents avert their eyes from him.

Numb from everything that happened in the past 15 minutes, Jude turned on his heel and ran off, far from the Burrow and everyone there.

He just wanted to go home. He wanted to go to a place where no one would hate him, where they would let him tell his side of the story. But with everyone looking at him like he was Voldemort, he couldn't find any salvation.

A sharp cry left his throat as he continued running. He just wanted to go home!

Suddenly, he felt his insides churning and his head being squished through a tunnel. He gasped for breath when the sensation stopped. He gazed around, taking in the unknown surroundings. He panted heavily, "Wha…where?"

"Who are you?" A squeaky voice asked. He glanced down, his eyes widening when he was met with several little creatures that Emma described as house elves.

He gaped, "I'm-" He gazed around frantically, "Where am I?"

Another spoke up as it got closer to him, "You're in the kitchens in Hogwarts. How did you get here?"

"I…" Jude shook his head, flabbergasted as he took in the kitchen equipment as well as all the house elves. "I don't know. I really don't know."


	16. Falling Apart

**Chapter 16**

Jude stared at the eggs in the frying pan. His eyes felt sunken, his chest heavy, and his brain filled with static as his ears continued to ring. It felt like days had passed since the wedding, but, unknown to him, only 10 hours had past, bringing in the morning and the day before the term started.

He sighed heavily, sniffling as he placed the eggs on a plate one of the house elves gave him. He put on a small smile and handed the plate to them, waving off their protests. He wasn't hungry, which was a first for him, but the ball that filled his stomach wouldn't let him eat anything other than the sorrow filled thoughts dancing in his mind.

Light suddenly hit his eyes. He flinched, his limbs trembling in fear, not knowing who found out where he was. When the light died down, he was met with two familiar faces.

He blinked, eyes wide, "Professor Harmon, Professor Alexander; what are you doing here?" His voice was hoarse and he knew his breath wasn't something to be waving around, especially in the kitchens.

Meghan frowned, "Porter, what are you doing in the kitchens?" She glanced around, noticing all the house elves eating breakfast, "How did you get in here?"

"I…ah…" Jude cleared away the phlegm in his throat. "I Apparated here."

"Jude," Emilie spoke, her eyes filled with concern as she knelt next to him. "You can't Apparate into Hogwarts. It's impossible."

Jude scratched his neck, his knuckles still bloody and bruised. His blue eyes were dull but held a glint of confusion. "Then how did I get here?"

Meghan stepped up to the teen, shaking her head at her fellow teacher when she saw her open her mouth to speak again. She placed her hand on Jude's shoulder, feeling him stiffen under her touch. "Jude, do you wanna tell us what happened?" She lifted his chin and clenched her jaw tightly when she gazed at the dry blood around his mouth. "Who did this to you?"

"Mr. Potter," Jude mumbled, curling into himself. "At Teddy and Victoire's wedding, after Mr. Potter yelled and hit James, I told him he needed to treat James better and I kept egging him on because I was so mad, and he hit me."

Emilie took his hands into hers gently. "Did you hit him?"

Jude nodded timidly, "He started choking me and I was reminded of…of…" His lips trembled as tears escaped his eyes. The thoughts of Piers' abuse was something he never wanted to dig up again, but it seemed like he had to get it out in the air for people to understand.

"I was scared so I kicked off me and just kept punching him," Jude explained shakily, tears curling around his lips. "I couldn't stop until James called out. I tried to explain what happened but James…"

A sob cut through his words as he remembered the hatred in James' eyes; a look he had only seen in Piers, Lazarus, and Harry. He thought he would never see that in James, but his actions, good intentions or not, left him public enemy number one in the eyes of the Weasley and Potter family.

Meghan carded her hand through his hair, eyes sympathetic. "What did James say?"

Jude swallowed roughly, holding back his sobs, "He called me a freak, and that I was jealous of him having a loving dad so I tried to kill Mr. Potter like I killed my dad."

"That little-"

"How could he say that?" Emilie asked, aghast. "He's your friend. Surely, he would've let you-"

Jude shook his head, snot falling on his upper lip, "It all happened so fast. One minute I was so overcome with rage and then the next James was screaming at me, telling me to leave the wedding." He sniffled, "No one said anything to change his mind. They just all looked at me as if I was the worst person in the world."

"All of them?" Meghan inquired sadly.

"Yeah," Jude breathed shakily. "Emma, my parents, the whole Weasley and Potter family. Each and every one of them. They want nothing to do with me."

As he cried into the sleeves of his crumpled dress shirts, his former professors sent each other a series of looks before Emilie sighed. The blonde grabbed Jude by his arm and lifted him to his feet with the help of her colleague.

She brushed off his shirt while smiling softly. "Okay, Jude. First, you're going to shower and get changed into some clean clothes. We'll get you some breakfast and then we'll talk more about your situation."

Jude nodded gratefully, "Thank you."

* * *

The solution to the overall horrible situation? Avoid. Jude no longer slept in the dorms with James and the other boys. He slept on the couch in Meghan's office while Meghan and Emilie shared the latter's room; he figured it wasn't much trouble for them.

He no longer stepped into the common room if he knew James, Emma, or any other relative James had was in there. He ate by himself in the kitchens with the house elves; they were very nice and always made sure he had all the food he wanted. Quidditch practices, luckily, just held him since the other captains trained the new players they chose.

Weirdly enough, DADA now had a substitute indefinitely. The sub told the students that Harry had taken some sick days and wouldn't be back for a while.

Unfortunately, news about what happened at the wedding spread quickly throughout the school. It wasn't hard to find out who spread it; both James and Albus now had a strong bond thanks to their shared hatred for Jude.

The stares every student from every school threw burned Jude's back in a way Lazarus could never do. It hurt but like with all pain he dealt with growing up, he let it roll off his back and kept the tears at bay. He deserved everything James was setting up because what he did was wrong and he knew that. It didn't matter that he was doing it for James, hitting Harry was something he never should've done even if it was in self-defense.

Being alone was something Jude grew accustomed to before he came to Hogwarts, and while he got used to having James and Emma by his side, going back to his old ways to being alone and miserable was something he knew would be inevitable.

Especially on his birthday.

Jude sighed heavily, gazing out at the Great Lake before him. He remembered fondly when Buckbeak flew him across the lake on his first day of third year. How he wished he could go back to the somewhat simpler times.

Come to think of it; third year was when he first celebrated his birthday.

He rolled his eyes at himself. Of course one thought would lead to another, bringing him back to his thoughts of misery. He scrubbed at his eyes under his glasses, exhaustion pulling at the back of his eyes and seeping into his bones.

"Jude?"

He blinked, turning his head to whoever addressed him. His stomach twitched a bit when he locked eyes with a timid Carlos. He gave him a small smile. "Hey, Carlos. What are you doing over here?"

Carlos stepped forward, holding a small box in his hands. "Thought I'd give you your birthday present. You know me; always want to be the first when it comes to you."

"Thank you," Jude chuckled lightly, his smile becoming genuine as he took the present with wet eyes. "You know you didn't have to get me anything though."

"Well, when it comes to you, I always do things I don't have to."

Inside the small box was leather bracelet that had their shared house and sigil craved into it beautifully. With a rough swallow, Jude shakily tied it to his wrist before giving Carlos a tight hug, expressing his gratefulness.

Carlos patted his back and pulled away, his own smile sad. "I don't believe what James is saying, you know. I think you had a reason to hit Mr. Potter."

"You're the first person to believe that other than some professors," Jude said thickly, wiping his eyes. "Not even Emma tried to hear me out."

"I know you, Jude. Maybe not as well as James and Emma, but I know you don't like violence. You hate it, really. So I know something must've gone on between you and Mr. Potter for you to react like that," Carlos told him gently.

Jude nodded, the exhaustion slowly creeping away, "Thank you again, Carlos. You don't know how much this means to me."

Carlos patted his back. "I'm here if you need me." He waved to him as he walked back to the castle.

Alone again, Jude fiddled with the bracelet as he went back to staring at the lake. A part of him was happy that someone believed the good side of him, but a larger part kept wishing that James, Emma, and the rest of the Potter and Weasley family would believe too.

A tap on his back startled him into standing. He panted lightly, blinking at Chloe who stood behind the bench, smirking amusedly, "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know," Chloe shrugged, sitting on the bench. "Rebelling against James Potter's new order." She patted imaginary dust off her skirt. "Did you really beat his father so bloody he had to go to St. Mungo's?"

"No," Jude mumbled, taking a seat next to her. "I punched him a lot but not enough that he had to go to the hospital."

Chloe gazed at him for a long moment, more than likely going through his memory and giving his brain a familiar tingling sensation before she nodded in satisfaction, "You're telling the truth. Good. That means I can still be your friend." She furrowed her brow confusedly, "But if that's what really happened, why is James so angry?"

Jude shook his head miserably, "I don't know. He didn't even let me explain before he started saying all these mean things to me. Everyone believed him, even my parents, so I just left as quickly as I could."

"Let's change the subject. I know for a fact you've been replaying what happened over and over again in your head and I don't want you to worry yourself over something that's not your fault," Chloe said, putting her hand on his in hopes to comfort him.

With her free hand, she pulled out a badge, similar to the one she wore on her robes. He blinked, gazing up at her questioningly. She smiled, "A little birdy told me it was your birthday today, and since you're going through a tough time, I figured you wouldn't be getting gifts. And you're my friend, so I wanted to get you something. I know it's small but-"

"It's perfect." Jude took it with a bright, small smile. He ran his fingers over the badge, his eyes stinging with tears for the millionth time that day. "You think I'm a Pukwudgie?"

Chloe laughed lightly, nudging his shoulder with hers, "Jude, I think if you embody any house in Ilvermorny, it's Pukwudgie. And honestly, if you went to my school, I'd be proud to call you a fellow healer."

Tears escaped his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hold them back. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his head in her shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Chloe," He breathed shakily into her shoulder.

"You're welcome, Jude," Chloe whispered as she hugged him back. "You deserve so much more than what you've been given. Don't ever forget that."

Hearing that from someone he just met, from someone who believed in him when his own friends and family didn't, sent him sobbing into her shoulder. He'd apologize later for dirtying her robes, but right now, he needed to let out what he kept buried for weeks.

He was just grateful he had a friend in Chloe and Carlos when there was no one else to help him.


	17. Occlumency Lessons

**Chapter 17**

"Jude, what are you doing out here?" Chloe asked, amusement in her tone as she stared down at the young male after she found him near the Great Lake. There was just something funny about seeing him lying on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.

Jude blinked back to reality and tilted his head back on the grass to gaze at her, "Nothing much. I'm just bored."

"Finish all your homework?" She asked as she sat next to him.

"Mm," He hummed, nodding. "Usually when I'd get bored, James would-" His eyes started to sting. "We would, uh, play some games to pass the time. Or Emma would make us do even more work to get ahead of the class."

Chloe smiled sympathetically, "You know, I can't say this will save you from your boredom but I did promise you Legilimency lessons if you were up for it." She laughed at how fast he perked up at that.

Jude grinned excitedly, "Really? Can-can we start now?"

"Yeah, yeah," Chloe chuckled as she stood up. She dusted off her clothes before offering him a hand which he gladly took. She turned on her heel, gesturing him to follow. "We'll practice in the Ilvermorny dorm. Mostly everyone's at Hogsmeade so we should have some privacy."

"Right, right." Jude followed her giddily, a skip in his step and his heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.

The walk was a longer one than Jude was used to but one he gladly made. When they got the Ilvermorny dorm, Jude watched confusedly as everyone who passed by them either giggled or stared at him for a long while, making him slightly uncomfortable. He still didn't understand why people were much more handsy now than they before.

Chloe smirked as she grabbed his sleeve, "Come on, just ignore them."

"Why would I do that?" He frowned slightly; ignoring people he didn't know seemed to be a very rude thing to do, especially to those who didn't seem to have malicious intent.

"You're here for lessons, not to be ogled."

He blinked, "Ogled?"

She shook her head, "Never mind." She pointed to a doorway in front of them. "This is the girls dormitory."

A shiver went down his back. "Do you have the 'no boys allowed' thing like the girls dorm in Hogwarts does?"

"In the actual Ilvermorny castle, yes. In this travel sized Ilvermorny thing, no. Now come on, fellow Pukwudgie, our lessons await." She wrapped her arm around his and walked into the dorm with him stumbling to follow.

Once they reached her room, which was styled so differently from the boys dorm that he had to take a moment to take it in, she shucked off her robe and sat on her bed. He turned his eyes away as she took off her tie, shoes, and leggings.

She grabbed her blanket and pillows and placed them on the floor where he stood, much to his confusion. She pulled out her wand from her robe as she explained. "Before I teach you Legilimency, first I'm going to teach you Occlumency."

She raised her hand to stop his questions. "Questions after. Now, Legilimency is the act of navigating through the layers of someone's mind. Occlumency is the act of magically closing your mind against Legilimency. So if you were an Occlumens, I wouldn't be able to read your mind as easily as you do."

She giggled at his pout, "Some of your enemies might be skilled Legilimens, so to counteract them, I'm going to teach Occlumency first."

"Are you an Occlumens as well?"

"Can you read my mind?"

Jude blinked, dumbfounded, "Well, no but-"

"Exactly," Chloe snorted before sobering. "Okay, to start off; bring out your wand. You can use any spell to defend yourself, okay?" At his nod, she smiled, "Alright. Now clear your mind. Make it as blank and empty as possible. Think of nothing."

"Okay," Jude exhaled shakily, trying to stop his rampant thoughts. He didn't have a mind like Emma where it never stopped even when she tried to sleep, but these past few weeks had his mind in a whirlwind, one that didn't ever seem like stopping.

He gripped his wand and closed his eyes tightly, trying desperately to empty his mind like he was told to. A thought came to him involuntarily. "Hey, Chloe?"

Chloe readied her wand. "Yeah?"

"Why are the blankets and pillows on the floor?"

"To catch you when you fall."

His eyes shot open. "What? What do you-"

" _Legilimens!_ "

His body tipped backwards as images flashed in his mind. The first was of Piers slapping him across the face when he was 4 for burning the bacon. It was his first time; of course he'd make mistakes. The tears on his face lasted the whole day. He learned not to burn any more of Piers' food after that.

A second image appeared. It was when Piers gave him a present; a thin jacket with only one hole in it. He could feel the elation he felt then. That jacket was the only one he ever got, and it was the first gift he had ever been given to his knowledge.

That was the first time he ever had a good thought about the man. However, that day also carried the night where Piers first came into his room to-

A scream ripped from his throat, bringing him abruptly back to the present. He inhaled deeply, eyes darting around frantically.

"Jude! Jude. Jude, look at me. Look at me," Chloe commanded shakily as she knelt down next to him, her green eyes filled with concern. She smiled comfortingly when he gave her a wide eyed stare, "There we go. Just breathe with me, okay? You'll be fine."

He clutched at her arm, holding her tightly as he regulated his breathing. He swallowed roughly as he let his head drop onto one of the pillows on the floor, "I think we're done for today."

Chloe nodded, blowing out a heavy breath, "Yeah, me too."

* * *

It was the third match of the quidditch tournament and Jude was excited to see Chloe fly on the pitch for the Ilvermorny vs. Koldovstoretz match. It was crazy to him, seeing one of his friends play while not playing himself.

Unfortunately, he didn't sit with his house or any of the houses in Hogwarts, despite Carlos saying he would defend him if anyone tried to tell him anything. He didn't sit with the others schools, not even Ilvermorny even though Chloe had some of her friends save him a seat in their stand.

Instead, he took his broomstick and floated near the Ilvermorny stand. He watched the match from there, away from everyone's gaze, judgmental or pitying. He held in his cheers, he held in his boos. He simply kept a smile on his face every time Ilvermorny scored or whenever Chloe passed by.

He wouldn't cheer for Koldovstoretz at all. Seriously, what was wrong with them? Why were they riding trees instead of just regular broomsticks?

" _And Holt has found the snitch! Let's see if she's as fast as Ivanov. He's already right on her tail,_ " The Ilvermorny announcer narrated. " _Come on, Holt! You can do it! Show those Russians who's boss!_ "

Jude gripped the neck of his broomstick anxiously, biting his lip as he watched Chloe and Ivanov race past the schools stands. If she caught the snitch, Ilvermorny would win. The score was 150-170. They needed the snitch or else they'd lose horribly. The muscles in his thighs tightened as he held in the urge to jiggle his legs; he didn't need to fall off his broom and alert everyone to his presence.

He could see the snitch zipping in front of Chloe who reached her hand out, much too soon in his opinion. He tensed on his broom, clenching his jaw as he gazed at Chloe and Ivanov zigzagging their way through the chasers and beaters.

"Come on. Come on," He whispered, his hands starting to shake. "Come on, Chloe. You need to catch the little bugger, or else we'll never meet on the pitch." He closed his eyes and hoped Chloe would end his misery already.

Silence filled his mind while his ears were assaulted with the cheers of the students. He waited on baited breath, every muscle in his body growing tighter and tighter as he awaited the results of the match.

He released a sharp breath.

" _And Holt has caught the snitch! Ilvermorny wins; 310-180! They will face whoever wins next week's match. Good on you, Ilvermorny. Congratulations!_ " The Ilvermorny student announced rapidly as the cheers from the students grew louder by the second.

Jude gave one last grin before making his way back to the shed.


	18. Intruding Thoughts

**Chapter 18**

Sweat fell from his face onto the floor where he laid. It was all sweat, he mentally persisted, ignoring his stinging eyes and the tears that mixed in with the other droplets of water on his face.

Chloe knelt down next to him, rubbing his shoulder. "I think we should call it a day. You look exhausted."

Jude sniffed, lifting his upper body from the floor, "I'm fine." He rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "You just caught me off guard with that one."

"I didn't mean to look at that memory, but sometimes I have to because it garners a stronger response," Chloe said lightly. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. You're fine," Jude shrugged, staring down at his hands. He spun his wand around in his hand idly. "I just…don't like to remember that. I try to just keep it in the past so I don't have to feel like that again."

Chloe tilted her head curiously. "And no one has to know about it?" She lifted her hands up in surrender when his fiery gaze hit her. "Again, I'm sorry, but Jude, it's not healthy keeping all those memories inside. Sometimes you have to talk about it with someone or else it'll blow up in your face one day."

"It already blew up," Jude mumbled. "When my biological mother came, she made me so mad that the words just spilled out. I didn't mean to say it. I didn't even want to tell her, but it just slipped out."

"That's what I'm talking about," Chloe sighed sympathetically. "Jude, you're a good guy even with everything that you've dealt with. I'm actually shocked about how nice you are, considering everything I've seen." She placed her hand on his arm, eyes comforting. "But you can't be afraid to let other people in, especially your friends. They won't judge you for what's happened in your past."

Jude clenched his jaw, his stomach wiggling uncomfortably. "I know. I know I should tell people what happened. I've told Lily because she overheard but we never talked about it much after that."

He lifted his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He placed his chin on his knee. He sighed heavily, "I guess I never told Emma because I didn't want to hear some kind of lecture on how I should be seeing a therapist or something. I never told James because…" His eyes stung once more. "I never told him because I was so scared he wouldn't see me the same way; he wouldn't see me as a strong friend anymore. He'd just see that broken kid who was…"

"Hey," Chloe cut him off when his voice grew too thick to be audible. "You don't need to explain to me why you didn't tell them. It's your business. I'm just trying to help you so it doesn't keep eating away at you for the rest of your life."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Jude nodded.

A beat of silence passed before Chloe sat down on the ground fully. She exhaled roughly as she twiddled with her wand, "I'm going to tell you something that I hope I can trust you with."

He placed his hand on hers, smiling supportively.

She scrubbed at her eyes, sniffling. "My dad, he's…he's in jail." She clarified, "In a muggle jail." She raised her eyebrow slightly at the understanding in his eyes. Tears stung her own. "When I was 11, a little after I got my letter to Ilvermorny, he killed a man for his money."

"Chloe," Jude whispered sadly.

"That's not even the worst part," She stated, voice wavering. "When the trial came, he tried to tell everyone that I was a witch, that I had magic, just so everyone would forget about the bad things he did. He thought he could use me as a scapegoat."

She wiped her eyes, breathing deeply. "The MACUSA wiped his and everyone in the court's memory. When I started Ilvermorny, everyone knew about it. They gossiped about it until last year. I only had a few friends because of it."

"You miss him," Jude said solemnly.

"He's a murderer," Chloe responded bluntly. "I don't care about him."

Jude nodded, pursuing his lips, "You don't care about him now, but from what you told me about what you smelled in Potions, you do miss the man he used to be."

Chloe shrugged, "Maybe." She patted his leg as she stood up. "Let's get outta here. I think dinner's starting soon." She laughed when he perked up. "Yeah, I knew that would get your attention."

* * *

" _Matsuki blocks yet another throw, keeping the score on Mahoutokoro's side,_ " Jared's voice echoed around the pitch during the Mahoutokoro vs. Uagadou match.

Jude watched from behind the stands again, still fearful of going near his housemates and not taking any else's pity invitation. Though he knew Chloe's wasn't a pity one, he still didn't want to be near those who gossiped behind his back. Ilvermorny students love to talk, as James and Chloe stated.

At this moment, however, he was filled with the smallest bit of joy at finally getting to watch the match before him while also feeling nervous at knowing there was only 3 matches after this one. If Uagadou won, they were the ones Hogwarts would go up against. One part of him did want them to win; he knew more students in Uagadou than in any other school, but another part wanted to go against Yoshio.

Jude loved a challenge and Yoshio would be his greatest one as a seeker. He had gone against many other seekers these past 5 years at Hogwarts; older, younger, taller, stronger, but none had the same backing as Yoshio. He and Yoshio were undefeated in their respective schools, they were both captains of their teams, and they were both held at high regard by their teammates.

Yes, if Jude had one wish, he'd wish for Mahoutokoro to win this match, simply so he could finally have an equal on the pitch.

"So this is where you've been."

Jude yelped, startled beyond belief. He gripped his broomstick tightly, his heart pounding in his chest as he turned his gaze to the intruder. He groaned, relaxing slightly at the sight of Chloe floating next to him on her broomstick, "Don't scare me like that."

She chuckled, highly amused, "Sorry, sorry. I was just wondering where you were. You declined my invitation both for this match and my match. I needed to know how you knew everything that happened while not being in the stands."

"No way I'm putting myself through that torture," He huffed. He nodded to the students in the stands, "No one has found me here and I like it this way. I don't have to worry about someone talking about me or wondering how I feel now that James and Emma hate me." He grimaced, "Some people still ask if I killed Mr. Potter."

"People are stupid, Jude," Chloe said with a shrug.

Silence filled the space between the two, the only sound was of the announcers and the cheers from the students, something Jude always took comfort in.

It was broken by Chloe once again. "So, you excited about going against Mahoutokoro in a couple weeks?"

Jude smiled slightly, "You think they're gonna win too?" He chuckled, "Yoshio is scary good from what I've heard. I'm both nervous and very much looking forward to going against him in the next match. What about you?"

"Castelobruxo is amazingly good, but I think we can take them on," Chloe replied. "I can't wait to go against you in the last match. Ilvermorny's gonna look great with the words 'Worldwide School Quidditch Tournament Winners' next to it."

That brought out a laugh. "You must have a lot of faith in me if you already think we're gonna meet in the last match."

Chloe smirked, "You have a lot of faith in yourself, Jude. I know for a fact that you've been thinking of winning the entire thing already."

It was true, but he wasn't going to admit to that even if she knew from obviously reading his mind. Damn, Legilimens.

" _And Kikuchi has caught the snitch. Mahoutokoro wins with 300-190. Great job to both of the schools and their players. We'll see you in the next match which is Hogwarts vs. Mahoutokoro._ "


	19. Hogwarts vs Mahoutokoro

**Chapter 19**

Jude let out a harsh breath as he stood in the corridor with the others of the Hogwarts quidditch team. His hand shook on his broom stick. He felt lightheaded and nauseous; each breath felt like it was pushing the bile in his throat higher. He had never felt this nervous for a match before.

He inhaled deeply, ignoring the sharp sting in his throat. Now wasn't the time to be anxious or nervous. Now was the time for him to realize that they made it this far because they had a great team, and win or lose, they would still be the best team he'd ever known. As long as they had fun and remembered that they did as best they could for their school, he would be happy with whatever the result was.

With that mindset, he got on his broom and shot out of the corridor and into the air with his other teammates. He gazed at the players from Mahoutokoro and felt his heart skip a beat when he locked eyes with Yoshio.

This would be a fun match indeed.

" _Hello and welcome everyone to yet another Worldwide School Quidditch Tournament match,_ " Jared announced with the rest of the speakers. " _For today's match, we have Hogwarts vs. Mahoutokoro. We are in the semi-finals, everyone, so whoever wins this match will be going against whoever wins next week's match._ "

The crowds cheered. Students shouted for certain players on the pitch while others yelled their support for either school.

" _Let's introduce the Hogwarts team. For the chasers, we have Ravenclaw Captain 7_ _th_ _year Joffrey King along with Hufflepuff 7_ _th_ _year Michelle Smith, and Ravenclaw 7_ _th_ _year Derek Starr. For the beaters, we have Hufflepuff Captain 5_ _th_ _year Donnie Maxwell and Gryffindor 6_ _th_ _year Carlos Curry. Gryffindor 4_ _th_ _year Hugo Weasley is the keeper, and Gryffindor Captain 6_ _th_ _year Jude Porter is the seeker. Let's give them a hand, everyone!_ "

Jude kept his head down, staring at his gloved hands on his broom as the students from Hogwarts applause went from wild to subpar when his name was mentioned.

As they named the players of Mahoutokoro, he risked a glance up, catching Carlos' eye as he floated next to him. The other male gave him a comforting smile, his eyes soft and understanding. It gave him warmth he hadn't felt in a while. He smiled back, silently hoping he didn't look as sad and pathetic as he felt.

The moment Professor Harmon and the Flying teacher from Mahoutokoro finished giving the rules and instructions, everyone flew off in separate directions. Jude whooped mentally when he saw Joffrey catch the quaffle first.

His heart beat wildly in his chest when he caught sight of Yoshio slowly taking stock of the pitch and the players around him. He swallowed dryly, his face flushing at the intimidating aura the other seeker gave off. He wondered what kind of aura he gave off to those he went against.

" _And King has made the quaffle in. Hogwarts is in the lead 10-0._ "

Jude tuned out Jared's voice and listened closely to the small sounds. The students were still screaming, some were mumbling, and the players around him were pacing their breath as they did their part to help their school win.

" _Hirasawa scores a point for her school. It's 20-30 with Mahoutokoro in the lead._ "

Yoshio was gliding along the pitch now, his dark eyes darting from every player to the smallest nook and cranny he could find around him. Jude moved his broomstick, keeping him in his peripheral while he listened.

"… _40-50!_ "

Any moment it would pop up now.

" _40-60!_ "

Sometimes he would have to wait hours to hear the rapid wings flying about. But he had to find it quick before the other school's players scored more points. They were already in way into the lead.

" _50-80!_ "

Jude exhaled deeply, whispering, "Come on, you little bugger. Show yourself so we can have a match worth watching."

" _50-100!_ "

There!

Jude shot off on his broom, following the snitch past the beaters. He pressed his chest into his broom, willing it to go faster. He chanced a glance back and found Yoshio gaining on him.

" _Porter and Kikuchi are neck and neck for the snitch! Who will win this match and make it to the finals; Gryffindor's Golden Boy or Mahoutokoro's prized student?_ "

They came up to curve around the pitch, only for Jude's broom to almost throw him into one of the stands to dodge a bludger. His blunder caused him to trail behind Yoshio now. He cursed mentally and shot off as fast as he could to catch up.

From the looks of it, even if he did catch up, Yoshio would be at the advantage since he was still closer to the snitch than he was. He bit his lip hard, blood welling under his teeth, as he quickly thought of a way to somehow get the snitch before Yoshio.

An idea brightened in his mind. He exhaled roughly, nodding, "Alright, buddy. You're gonna shoot me off into the air, over Yoshio; that way I can grab the snitch." He patted the broomstick. "That alright?"

Knowing he would get a response from an inanimate, albeit slightly sentient object, he put his plan into work. His stomach pulled unpleasantly when the broomstick shot him off.

It was almost as if time had slowed down. He was deaf to every sound around him, even his own heartbeat. All he could focus his senses on was the snitch that was slowly coming closer to him.

He stretched his hand out, his fingers centimeters away from Yoshio's. He curled his fingers around the snitch tightly once it hit his palm. Before he could grin in victory, every sound came back to him as Yoshio and his broom slammed into him roughly, sending them both to the ground.

Jude grunted, his back and head pulsing in pain. He gazed through his cracked glasses and locked eyes with Yoshio. His face heated up at how close they were, his body flushing with a feeling he'd never felt before.

He quickly lifted his hand with the snitch, showing everyone who won. He ignored the unknown heat in his belly and shifted out from underneath Yoshio.

" _Porter has caught the snitch, giving Hogwarts the lead with 210-130! Hogwarts will be going to the finals!_ " Jared announced giddily as the students of Hogwarts cheered wildly at the victory.

Yoshio held out his hand as they both stood next to each other. "Good game, Porter-san."

"You too," Jude grinned, placing his free hand into Yoshio's. The heat in his belly stirred once more but he ignored again. Instead, he smiled gratefully at his teammates who approached him. He took their hugs, though Hugo stayed behind, and cheered with them.

* * *

Of course there would be an after party, Jude thought to himself as he stared at the Room of Requirement's door. He sighed, scuffing his foot on the floor. He didn't want to see any of the people who judged him just from James' rumors. He couldn't face them either, no matter how happy they were now.

With a shake of his head, he shifted on his heel and began walking towards Professor Harmon's office.

"Porter? What are you doing out here?"

Jude blinked, lifting his head to gaze at Ethan, "Oh, Patrick. Hey."

Ethan grinned, "There's a party with your name on it in the Room of Requirement. Why are you out here all by your lonesome?"

"I'm not really in the mood for a party," Jude admitted. It was true; while his body wasn't protesting his every move anymore thanks to Pomfrey's excellent spells, he was still exhausted from not only the match, but the situation he found himself in, in general.

"Well, now that I have you here, I'd like to apologize," Ethan stated. He nodded when Jude raised an eyebrow confusedly, "I'm sorry I was a little shit to you after you beat me in dueling. I guess I wasn't used to it since I've never lost to anyone in Ilvermorny."

"Guess it was just luck," Jude shrugged, his back starting to heat up uncomfortably. He pointed over Ethan's shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be going to bed now."

Ethan frowned lightly, holding up his hand to stop him, "Come on now, Porter. I apologized and I'd like for us to be friends." He held out his hand. "Let's bury our animosity in the sand, shall we?"

Jude stared at his hand, the heat in his back growing hotter as it traveled to his neck. He lifted his gaze and put his hand in Ethan's, ignoring his instincts.

"There we go," Ethan smiled as he stepped closer. He placed his hand on Jude's shoulder, gripping his hand tightly when he tried to let go. His lips brushed Jude's ear as he leaned in and whispered, "I'd tell you to stay away from my girl, but you won't be living long enough to be near her again." He slowly let go of Jude's hand.

Jude slowly moved his eyes to him, his body shaking. "Wha-" He grunted when pain bloomed in his abdomen. He dropped his eyes down, gazing in horror at the knife impaled in his stomach.

"Wh-why?" He whispered brokenly to Ethan.

"Let's just say Lazarus' friendship is worth more than yours," Ethan retorted as he pulled the knife out. He walked away, hiding the knife in his robe sleeve. He gave no second glance to the English male as he stepped inside the Room of Requirement.

Jude fell to the ground, breathing weakly. He pressed his hand to his profusely bleeding abdomen, trying in vain to save himself. He gasped, feeling a harsh chill run through is body. He let out a harsh breath as he lifted his bloody hand, "H-help."

His hand went limp, falling to the ground as darkness overcame him.


	20. Busting Out

**Chapter 20**

Voices. He could hear voices above him. They were muffled by what felt like cotton clogging his ears.

" _We need to get him to St. Mungo's. This poison is too complex for my spells._ " That was Madam Pomfrey. A poison? He was poisoned. Surely Pomfrey could heal him. She was the best healer in the wizarding world.

He felt a cool hand touch his forehead, giving him a lick of relief from the burning heat sitting under his skin. He wanted to open his mouth, to tell Pomfrey that if anyone could heal him, she could, but his body didn't move at his commands.

" _It's alright, Mr. Porter,_ " Pomfrey tried to reassure him, her voice shaking. " _I promise they'll take good care of you there._ "

Take care of him? Was he dying?

Another hand brushed through his hair. The honeysuckle scent that hit his nose told him it was Professor Alexander. Had she found him in the corridor as he bled out? He hoped not; he didn't want her to have that image in her head.

" _Can you hear me, Jude? If you can, just know you're not dying. Not on my watch. We'll find out who did this and get you the antidote. Just don't-_ " Her voice became strangled. He could hear her sobs and felt his own heart break at the sound. He would survive, if only so his professor wouldn't feel like this anymore.

Surviving. It was something he had been doing since he was young. He survived the fire that killed his father, he survived living without parents, he survived Piers' abuse for years, he survived every attack Lazarus threw at him, and just when he thought he could start living a life he always wanted, his friends turned their back on him. He went back to surviving because it was all he could do.

Did he want to continue surviving?

That was the last thought that entered his hazy mind before he succumbed to the darkness once more.

* * *

When he finally did come to, his ears were assaulted by the sound of a vase breaking near his bed. He turned his bloodshot eyes to the intruder and felt his heart stop in his chest when he was met with familiar green eyes.

His lips parted a bit before Harry slapped his hand over his mouth gently. Harry put a finger to his own lips, his whispered words flowing around it. "Don't panic. I'm here to get you out of here."

Jude breathed weakly, his voice raspy as he asked, "Why? Why are you-" The instant chill that hit his veins again cut off his sentence.

"I'll explain later. Come on." Harry wrapped a blanket around him and, with much effort, lifted him from the bed and onto his shoulder. He tightened his grip around him. "Don't throw up on me."

The two Disapparated from St. Mungo's.

They Apparated somewhere with plenty of trees, Jude thought groggily. He didn't have it in him to throw up; his body was barely able to take a breath without feeling the sharp pain that radiated from his stomach to his chest.

Harry groaned as he shifted him in his arms. "Chloe, where's the blanket?" He called out.

"Chloe?" Jude opened his eyes, seeing Chloe's blurry shape come near them.

"It's right here, Mr. Potter," Chloe said as she put the blanket on the floor. She helped Harry set the young man on it gently before they wrapped him up.

Jude glanced at the two of them, his head starting to pound at the millions of questions rushing through his brain. "What are you-how…?" He let out a harsh groan at the chill seeping into him again, this time growing sharper as it made its way closer to his heart.

Chloe shushed him as she brushed his hair back, "It's okay, Jude. Everything's gonna be okay, alright? Just relax."

"Do you-" Jude licked his lips, tasting the perspiration on his upper lip. "You know who stabbed me?"

"No," Chloe shook her head, frowning. She glanced at Harry who was busy packing up their belongings. "When we heard you were stabbed and poisoned, we were distraught. It wasn't until Mr. Potter found out what you were poisoned with that he found me and came up with the plan to get you out of St. Mungo's."

Jude grabbed her hand with as much strength as he could muster when she tried to stand to help Harry. He worked hard to inhale, his eyes locking with Chloe's. "You don't know who it was? They haven't found him?"

Chloe shook her head once more, "No. Jude, what is it? Who stabbed you?"

Jude was silent for a moment before he shook his head as well, lying back on the blanket under him. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." He coughed roughly, trying to pay no mind to the blood that splashed on his lips. He glanced at Harry who knelt beside him, "Why are you helping me? I thought you hated me."

"I told you I'd explain later," Harry replied. He nodded to Chloe, "You can go. Just make sure to come back soon."

"Right," Chloe nodded. She gazed down at Jude, "Don't worry. I'll be back. I'm just going back to help my school beat Castelobruxo. If you want me to stay, I will."

Jude exhaled weakly, "No, don't. I can't hold you back from something you love." He tried to grin, his muscles protesting even the slightest movements. "Beat them for me, alright?"

Chloe smiled back, her eyes wet, "You got it." She gently kissed his sweat soaked forehead before Disapparating.

"She's way more advanced than I am," Jude mumbled. His eyes widened slightly when he felt a familiar pull in his stomach. He slowly moved his head to gaze at the floor and found himself floating a few feet above it.

A ghost of a smile came onto Harry's lips as he began walking, Jude's floating form following. "I wasn't going to carry you the entire way if that's what you were thinking." The smile stretched slightly. "James told me about Apparition class. You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. He says you've been doing well."

Jude let out a shuddered breath, "I doubt he said that. The only things that have come out of his mouth the past few months are lies about how I beat you bloody."

"Well, you did beat me up and I was bloody after," Harry shrugged. His gaze grew somber. "Why were you really asking Chloe about your assailant?"

A beat of silence passed between the two. Jude moved his gaze over to the older wizard confusedly. "Why are you helping me? Don't you hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

"That's a lie. You've hated me since my first year at Hogwarts."

Harry sighed, "Funny you should mention that."

The two didn't talk the rest of the way. Hours passed before Harry stopped walking and began setting up a fire and a tent for them to sleep in. He sat Jude up on a log and brought out some food for them.

As Jude ate slowly, Harry began to explain, "Do you remember the first day I met you?"

Jude nodded, "You were nice then. I didn't think you were a complete jerk."

"And I didn't think you were a complete shit," Harry joked. He rubbed his chin, his fingers sliding across the rough stubble as he gazed into the fire. "After Christmas break, I was sent on a mission to look for a Death Eater. I remembered finding him and then suddenly, I was back home as if I never left. Try as I might, I couldn't remember anything from that night."

"What happened?" Jude furrowed his brow.

Harry exhaled heavily, "After you punched me at the wedding, it was as if you punched the hold that was on my memories. They came rushing back to me. The man I was looking for was Lazarus." Jude's heart jolted in his chest. "I tried to take him down but he was fast. He hit me with some kind of spell that knocked me out."

He gazed at Jude, "I didn't think about it once after that because I didn't even realize it was on me. After the spell came off, I realized the effects it had on me. Every time I thought of you, even just a passing thought, I was filled with rage. I hated you with every fiber of my being before I even knew you."

Jude swallowed dryly, "That explains a lot." Sweat dripped past his temple. "You don't hate me now?"

"No, Jude, I don't," Harry shook his head. "And neither does James."

"I doubt that," Jude replied a bit angrily.

Harry frowned, "Don't you understand? When you punched me, the spell came off and rebounded onto James. Everything I felt about you is what he's feeling now. He can't fight the spell."

Jude blew out a breath, ignoring the spark of hope that ignited in his chest, "But why did Lazarus get you in the first place? Why not James, Neville, Hannah, or Emma? I was actually close to them my first year."

"I guess Lazarus thought that no one would fight me if I said James couldn't be your friend anymore," Harry guessed. "Or maybe he thought I'd kill you myself and he'd have an easier time getting you."

"Maybe," Jude breathed heavily. "I don't hate you, Mr. Potter, but I do think you need to start treating James better. You're his father and he loves you. All he wants is for you to love and respect him back."

Harry nodded, ashamed at his past actions towards his eldest son, "I know. You're right. I haven't been treating him the best I could. Your words held a lot of truth that night. I just didn't want to believe them."

Jude shivered at the chill spreading in his veins. "Good. That's all I wanted to hear from you." He closed his heated eyelids slowly. He felt Harry put him in the air and take him over to the tent where he laid him down on a soft pillow.

He cracked one eyelid slowly to gaze at Harry, his stomach falling with dread. "My assailant? It's Ethan Patrick; Chloe's boyfriend." He grabbed Harry's sleeve, shaking his head weakly, "Don't…don't tell her, okay? If she doesn't find out, I want her to hear it from me."

"Alright," Harry nodded, patting his hand. "Just get some rest. We'll be walking again at dawn."

Jude grunted lightly, "Where are you taking me?"

Harry set his mouth in a grim line though his eyes glinted with determination. "To find the last phoenix to heal you. Only a phoenix's tears can cure the poison you have in you."


	21. What Is Family

**Chapter 21**

Chloe came back only a few days later, telling Jude about how her quidditch team beat Castelobruxo; just barely. Jude congratulated her, trying to muster up enough enthusiasm for her despite his weakening body. She didn't seem to mind his breathless, almost silent words. In fact, she seemed happier at hearing them.

The days passed on with the three of them making their way through a forest Jude still couldn't remember the name of. Harry answered him whenever he asked; showing a patience that Jude had never seen before, but the name kept escaping his bleary mind.

Each day grew longer and the chilled agony in Jude only spread with each passing minute of the days. Even with the exhaustion pressed into his bones, Harry and Chloe wouldn't let him sleep until the sun went down. He groaned and whined about it but knew they were only trying to help him with his pain.

"Are we getting closer?" Jude asked one night by the fire Harry set up. Said wizard was off checking the perimeter and setting up shields while Chloe kept watch.

Chloe chuckled slightly, adjusting the blanket around Jude, "I wanna make a joke about how this is the first time I've ever seen you impatient, but I think in this situation, it's justified that you'd feel this way."

Jude panted lightly, "I don't mean to be annoying."

He really didn't mean to, but sweat was dripping down his head and back uncomfortably despite his very low body temperature, and being wrapped in a blanket wasn't exactly helping him. Not only that; his irritation at not having his glasses grew with each blurry tree they passed along the way.

"You're not annoying, Jude," Chloe reassured, eyes earnest. "You're going through a lot right now, just like you've been since the year started. I think if anyone wants to show their irritation the most, it should be you."

"Thank you," Jude whispered. He shifted in the blanket, wincing when his side stung something fierce at the movement. "I hope we find the phoenix quickly and without any trouble."

Chloe smiled, "I think that's asking for a lot."

"Doesn't hurt to try." The two shared a small laugh. Jude gazed at her, ignoring the stab of frustration he felt when he took in her blurry profile. "How are you with all this? Does anyone else know you're missing school?"

"Professor Alexander knows," Chloe nodded. "She's collecting my work from my classes while I'm here."

Jude smiled weakly, "I'm surprised she's approving of you being here at all. She always told me something when I missed class all my other years."

Chloe shrugged, "She cares about you, Jude. She really does." She placed her hand on his cold one. "She wanted me to come take care of you since James and Emma won't."

Hearing his two friends' names had his heart stopping in his chest. He inhaled, taking as much of a deep breath as he could, "I'm…I don't know how I feel sometimes." His lips twitched a bit when he noticed Chloe's stare. "Hannah, Neville, James, and Emma were the first ones to ever care about me. I wasn't used to it and even though it's been years, I was still waiting for it all to leave me."

"That's why you didn't fight it when everything happened," Chloe realized sadly. "You thought it was always inevitable."

"Mr. Potter says James is infected with the same curse that had him, but that's only James, not everyone else." A tear streaked down his cheek. "I really thought they cared about me, but they didn't; not when it really mattered." A humorless chuckle left his lips. "I fooled myself into thinking I actually had a family. Piers was right; no one can ever love me."

"Hey," Chloe whispered sadly, wrapping her arms around him. Her heart broke with each sob that left his lips. She rubbed his back, wishing she could find James and Emma and show them how Ilvermorny usually dealt with problems like these.

When his cries quieted down, she placed her hand on his jaw, lifting his head so they could lock eyes; bright green meeting deep blue. "Just because you're going through something extremely hard doesn't mean no one loves you. You are kind, Jude. You carry so much kindness in you despite everything you've been through. People love you, okay?"

Jude swallowed thickly, averting his gaze, "Then why doesn't it ever feel like it?"

"I don't know," Chloe shook her head. "But I do know that when this is over and everything gets fixed, you will feel a love you haven't ever felt before. I believe that."

"Thank you," Jude sniffled, placing his hand on her wrist. He squeezed it with what little strength he had to show his gratitude. He licked his dry lips as he brought his eyes back up. "You should get some rest. I don't want to keep you up."

Chloe gave him a small smile. She patted his cheek as she stood up, "Don't worry so much about me. I'm not the one who's injured." She ruffled his hair before she walked into the tent.

Minutes later, Harry sat down next to him. He groaned a bit as he rolled his neck, "I haven't done this much walking since I was 17 and trying to find the horcruxes with Ron and Hermione."

"Sounds like an adventure," Jude rasped, his eyes drooping. Nostalgia hit him softly as he remembered how happy Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked every time they were together. Even when he disliked Harry with a passion, he was always happy the man had found his happy endings with his two best friends and Ginny.

He only wished he could have one as well.

Harry gazed at him, clasping his hands together, "You, James, and Emma must have had plentiful adventures you went on before."

An involuntary smile came onto Jude's lips. "James called them quests." His eyes stung with tears once more. "You remember what our first year was like; finding Lazarus and almost dying as a result. Second year wasn't that different. Third year, we went into Voldemort's resting chamber to save Lily. We fought a bunch of high level beasts in there."

"That's right," Harry nodded slightly. "I never thanked you for saving Lily." He nudged Jude's blanket covered leg with his boot. "Thank you, Jude, for saving my daughter. I'm sure you hated that I wasn't nicer to you after that."

Jude hummed tiredly, "I didn't do it for the praise, Mr. Potter. I did it because Lily's my friend, and I'd save her again if the time came to it." He shifted in the blanket, his heated eyes slowly closing. "I'd save all of you because you're my family no matter how much you guys hate me."

Harry smiled softly as the younger male's breathing evened out as he fell asleep, "I'd save you too, Jude. We all would because you're our family too."


	22. Who Done It

**Chapter 22**

The days didn't get better for Jude. It had been weeks since he'd been stabbed, and while he held on like a champ, never once showing weakness to the poison in him, it was clear that if they didn't find the phoenix soon, he would die.

After groaning and wincing for an hour straight, Jude bit down on his chapped lips to the point of drawing blood. He didn't want to annoy Harry and Chloe with his continuous cries from the pain spreading through him. He knew they'd say they were fine with hearing him, because hearing him meant he was still alive, but he was already a burden to begin with, he didn't weigh them down even more.

"Jude?" Chloe asked worriedly, walking slowly next to his floating form.

Jude released his lip, ignoring the taste of blood in his mouth now. "I'm fine. I just want to stop screaming." He clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth at the feeling of spikes expanding in his thin veins.

"We should set up camp soon," Harry commented. "We're much closer than we've ever been. Fawkes should be coming around here in a day or so."

"Are you sure?" Jude panted hoarsely. "I don't want to slow us down."

"I'm sure," Harry nodded as he brought out the tent again. As Chloe began setting it up, he let Jude's body slowly lay on the ground. He unwrapped the blanket around him and gestured to the bandage around the younger male's abdomen. "I need to check your wound."

Jude gave a slight nod and watched as Harry peeled the bandage back. Bile rose in his throat at the sight of the black, puss filled wound. When he pondered as to why he there wasn't any blood, they explained that the poisoned that was used took over his blood the moment it entered him. That was why it was so painful, and if it got any closer to his heart, it would kill him.

Harry placed the bandage back on. "How much does it hurt?"

"This is the worst pain I've ever felt in my life," Jude slurred, his lucid mind taking a seat away from the roaring headache that crawled into his head. "This is like a…a long lasting _Crucio._ "

"It shouldn't be long until you're healed, Jude. All you have to do is hold on a little bit longer," Harry stated, eyes holding a deep sympathy. Knowing his background, he probably got hit with that spell and others multiple times in his school years.

Jude inhaled weakly, "I can do that." He licked his sweaty lips. "I've never seen a phoenix before. If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd be jumping in excitement at finally seeing one."

"They are a sight to see," Harry nodded, a small smile coming onto his lips. "Don't worry about never seeing one again. Hagrid has been looking for others for years. I'm sure he'll find one sooner or later."

"Wicked," Jude smiled. He poked Harry's hand. "Is it alright if I take a nap? I don't think I can stay awake much longer."

Harry contemplated for a moment before relenting with a nod, "Okay, but only for half an hour." He grimaced apologetically, "Sometimes sleep is too sweet to wake up from, but we need you awake and functioning, Jude."

Jude breathed, "Don't worry, Mr. Potter, I'm not ready to die just yet."

"Good." Harry patted his arm lightly. "Let's get something in your stomach before you take your nap, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

 _There was a flash of red and gold before it disappeared. Crows were squawking in the air around him._

 _Where was he? What was going on?_

" _Jude…"_

 _Who was there?_

" _Find the phoenix. You must live."_

 _How…?_

" _He will be there to fight you, but you can defeat him. I know you can."_

* * *

Jude awoke with a gasp, his body dripping with sweat from head to toe. The pain he had been dealing with dulled as the new information floated around his head.

"Jude, what is it? What's wrong?" Chloe asked as she came up to his cot.

He grabbed onto her sleeve with what little strength he had. "Patrick," He croaked, his throat burning. "It was Ethan who stabbed me."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock at his words. Her lips curled in disbelief. "What are you talking about? He was at the party with me that night."

"I wouldn't lie about this. I have no reason to lie," Jude rasped, his hand falling back to his side. "He's working with Lazarus. He told me his friendship is worth more than mine." He chuckled humorlessly, "I think he's in trouble though."

"Why do you say that?" Chloe glared haughtily.

Jude shrugged, uncomfortable on his damp cot, "Lazarus wants to drain me dry. I doubt he wanted his followers to poison my blood before he even got it."

"You seem pretty proud of yourself." Chloe was angry, and for good reason, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"I am," Jude nodded sarcastically. "'Cause, you know, if I'm going to die, at least Lazarus couldn't get my blood. And now that you and Mr. Potter know that it was Patrick, he'll get what's coming to him too."

He didn't flinch when Chloe slammed her hand down next to his head. She glared at him, her green eyes darker than he'd ever seen them, "Stop making this into some big joke. This is serious, Jude. What you're saying-"

Jude glared back, "Is true." He clenched his jaw, his voice wavering, "You think I want to die? You think I want to hurt you like this?" He averted his eyes from her. "If you think I'm doing this because I'm petty or jealous of Patrick, then you don't know me at all."

With great effort, he turned on his side, away from her. "If you think that's true, you can just leave. You're no better than the people who believe James' lies."

He knew what was coming, but the cracking sound of Chloe Disapparating still hurt his already broken heart. He paid no mind to the tears that escaped his eyes. He just pretended that the sweat got in his eyes.

When Harry woke up the next morning and asked where Chloe was, Jude told him she had better things to do than watch him die. The two didn't talk much after that.


	23. Journey's End

**Chapter 23**

They found Fawkes two days later, and Jude was surprised he had survived a month of being poisoned. Harry expressed his disbelief at how long he held on as well. He told him it had to be his magic that kept him alive for so long. He even mentioned that this miracle might be the whole reason Lazarus was after him.

But it didn't matter how he lasted this long; he could already feel the calm darkness taking over. He didn't have it in him to fight it anymore no matter how hard he tried. No matter how much he wanted to live.

"Fawkes…" Harry breathed, catching Jude's bleary attention. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

With much effort, Jude turned his head around, feeling the blanket scratch lightly at his chin. The moment he laid eyes on the phoenix, he felt his heart lift in his chest.

Fawkes was beautiful even with his blurry sight. Its feathers were a dark red and a shiny gold. Just the sight of it gave Jude's eyes a show he had never seen before.

Harry set him down on the ground gently as he slowly approached the bird. "Fawkes, I've come to ask if you can heal a friend of mine." He gestured to the young male. "His name is Jude Porter and he's very important to a lot of people. He's been stabbed with a poison that has no other antidote. I know it's a lot to ask for, but please, I need your help."

Jude watched as Fawkes tilted its head, regarding him. Harry moved back over to him and undid the blankets around him. He winced when the older male pulled the bandage away from his wound, showing the phoenix the black and puss filled gash.

"Can you fix it, Fawkes?" Harry asked softly.

The bird stared at the wound for what felt like eternity. In that time, Jude felt the poison grow only inches away from his heart. He inhaled sharply, tasting the sharp tang of his blood as it bubbled in his throat. He gritted his teeth, taking the pain silently. They were already at their destination; he didn't need to continue to be a burden on his companion.

"Heal the damn boy, bird!"

Jude flinched at the sound of Ethan's voice. He reached for Harry's hand, taking great comfort when the man held it tightly in his own. Not many were able to get the jump on him, only Lazarus and Piers. Then again, not many have ever had him close to death; Ethan was the only one who could ever brag about that.

If he lived to tell about it, of course.

Ethan marched forward, his wand frantically switching from pointing at Harry and Fawkes. "Heal the boy and I might let you live."

A thought came to Jude. He blinked, the heat of his eyelids making him dizzy with exhaustion, "You want me to live?" A smirk curled onto his lips. "Are you only trying to help because Lazarus will kill you otherwise?"

Ethan scrubbed a hand over his sweat, blotchy face as he glared. "Shut your god damn mouth, Porter." He turned his glare to the majestic beast. "Hurry up and heal him before I kill you."

Harry slowly pulled out his wand as he stood. "You're not touching the bird or the boy, young man." He held his wand out. "I am Harry Potter, an auror for the Ministry of Magic, and I am here to arrest you, Ethan Patrick."

"I'm American. You can't arrest me," Ethan scoffed.

"Your crimes are on British soil. I can do whatever I please."

Ethan brought his wand back, a spell on his lips. A shout of his name distracted him. He turned his head and found Chloe glaring at him, tears in her eyes and wand at the ready.

Had it not been for his failing health, Jude would've beamed brighter than the sun behind the clouds at the sight of his friend. Even still, he felt his heart give a resounding thump, sharing the happiness that was warming his chest pleasantly.

Using this distraction, Harry shot off a spell that Ethan was barely able to dodge. Chloe charged after her now ex-boyfriend, her and Harry running him off towards the forest, away from Jude and Fawkes.

Jude blew out a weak breath, black dots creeping into his vision. He shifted his head to gaze at the phoenix next to him. "You should go." He gave a small smile when the bird simply stared blankly, "Don't worry about me or the others. This isn't your fight. You shouldn't be the last of your kind anymore."

He gently nudged Fawkes' feather, trying to push him away. Fawkes took a step back before jerking its head down, gesturing towards his wound.

"Like I said; don't worry about me," Jude panted lightly, his vision slowly starting to fail him as he tried to hold on a bit longer. "I'd rather die than see anything happen to a lovely creature who means no harm to people. So please go."

Despite his best efforts, his eyes closed on their own slowly as his body finally began to succumb to the poison that had been killing him. He didn't even notice the tears gathering in Fawkes' eyes.

A month of fighting the poison. A month of lying down while Harry and Chloe did all of the work of hauling his useless body to Fawkes, the last phoenix living. Was it worth it? Was it worth wasting Harry and Chloe's time even though he was just going to die?

He didn't want to die; that much was true. He would fight and wail against the darkness chasing after him on a good day, but ever since the incident at Teddy and Victoire's wedding, he didn't have it in him to fight any more. Even when Harry told him that everything James said to him was only a product of the curse put on him, he still couldn't find it in him to fight like he usually did when his life was in danger.

He didn't want to die yet, yes, but the call to darkness was so sweet and he was so tired; he just wanted to sleep.

So he took one last breath and let the dark void take him.


	24. Reunion

**Chapter 24**

It was dark for a long while. He thought it was the end until he felt the pull of consciousness. He furrowed his brow as his eyes fluttered open only to squint when his sight was bombarded by a harsh light hitting his face. He moved his blurry gaze to it, cursing the blinds for not properly shielding the sun. The infirmary was never a comfortable place to be.

Wait, the infirmary?

Jude sat up abruptly in the cot, breathing frantically. He looked at his hands and arms, noticing his regular color had come back to his skin. The once pale and clammy skin was long gone from the looks of it.

He placed his hand over where he'd been stabbed and felt only a small, thick scar taking its place. He traced the scar as he exhaled roughly. "What in Merlin's name happened?"

"Oh, Mr. Porter, it's so good to see you up," Pomfrey said as she walked in and made her way over to his cot. She placed her hand on his forehead and nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, phoenix tears can heal anything. You're looking much better than you ever did."

"Thank you," Jude blinked slowly.

Pomfrey patted his cheek like Hannah did when she was happy to see him. "I'm so glad you're feeling better." She straightened with a smile. "Now, you have a lot of visitors waiting for you outside. Would you like them to come in?"

"Yeah," Jude mumbled. "One at a time, please. Can you bring Mr. Potter in first?"

Pomfrey nodded and walked back out. A moment later, Harry walked in, relief seeping into his eyes when he caught sight of the younger male.

He chuckled as he sat next to the cot, "You scared the life out of me, Jude. I thought we'd lost you for sure." He held out Jude's glasses.

"I thought I was lost too," Jude replied as he put his glasses on. "What happened? I thought Fawkes left after I told him to get somewhere safe."

"He did," Harry nodded. "But after we apprehended Patrick, Fawkes quickly came back and cried into your wound. You healed instantly after that. We took you to St. Mungo's to get checked over and they kept you there for a day before we brought you back here." He nudged Jude's foot with his own. "You were gone for a month. You've got a lot of catching up to do."

A ghost of a smile came onto Jude's lips. "I bet." He smiled gratefully, "Thank you for all you did, Mr. Potter. You didn't have to."

Harry shook his head, "I didn't, but I wanted to. You had no one on your side and I thought it was high time us unique kids stuck together." He held out his fist.

Jude chuckled and bumped his fist with his own. He then reached over and hugged the older male tightly, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. He felt Harry hug him back just as tightly, patting his back twice before pulling away.

"I gotta get going," Harry said as he stood. "Patrick's report isn't going to fill itself." He paused, pondering. "Well, it will but I need to be there to make sure I still have a job." He nodded to Jude, "Be safe, Jude. I don't want you dying the next time I see you."

"I can't exactly promise that, but I'll try."

With that, Harry left the room. After him came Chloe who bounded in. She beamed when she caught sight of him on the cot. She rushed over to him and fell into his arms, laughing when she felt him lift her a few inches from the floor.

Once he set her back down, she smiled brightly up at him, "You're alive. I'm so glad."

"No more than me," Jude joked. He licked his lips, his hands twitching at his side. "Y-you came back. I didn't think you would."

Chloe sighed, "Neither did I, but when I got back here, I noticed Ethan was acting suspicious so I followed him. I found his letters to Lazarus, and then I later found the knife he stabbed you with. I had to come back because I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Jude pressed his lips together. "It's okay. I'm just happy you came back."

"You shouldn't forgive so easily, Jude," Chloe protested half-heartedly. She smacked his bicep that looked bigger than her head. "Now put on a shirt. You've got a lot of visitors and you don't want them distracted by these." She gestured to his abs.

"Why would they be distracted?" Jude mumbled confusedly, glancing down at his abdomen as Chloe threw a shirt at him and left the room.

He turned his back to the door as he tugged the shirt on. Footsteps were head behind him but he paid them no mind until the shirt was fully on. His eyes widened when he caught sight of James standing before him.

"J-James," He breathed shakily, tears welling in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

James clenched his jaw tightly before he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jude tightly, holding him like he never had before. Jude clutched at him back, his tears streaming down his cheeks. His heart lodged itself in his throat, stopping his sobs.

They pulled away, each with blotchy faces as tears ran down their flushed cheeks. James wiped his tears under his glasses. He swallowed roughly, "I'm so, so sorry, Jude. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't…you have to know I never meant them."

"It's okay if you did," Jude whispered brokenly. "I hit your father at Teddy's wedding. I don't think that's proper behavior. I'm sure I embarrassed you."

"I don't give a damn about that!" James exclaimed angrily, not at Jude for once. "I care about you, but that stupid curse made me hate you. Every time I tried to talk to you or about you, even just a passing thought, it kept twisting my words around. It was horrible."

Jude nodded slowly, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Don't, just don't, okay?" James shook his head. He ran a hand over his tired face. "You almost died, Jude, and I wasn't even there. I'm so sorry."

"It hurt," Jude swallowed thickly. "It hurt so much when I thought you and everyone else hated me. I understand that you were cursed but no one else was. They hated me for what I did to your dad even if your dad didn't. I don't think it's that easy to come back from."

"I know. Everyone's out there ready to apologize though. They want you to know that they didn't mean anything. They just didn't want to get on my bad side or my dad's. They thought it would hurt the family."

"I know and I understand that. I forgive them," Jude reassured softly. He shrugged helplessly as his tears started up again. "I'm just hurt but I'll get over it, James. Especially if it means everyone forgives me too."

James stared at his friend for a long while, almost unnerving him, before he launched himself at him once more, hugging him tightly. "We don't deserve you, Jude. None of us do."

Jude hugged him back for a moment before his eyes caught movement by the door of the infirmary. He felt a smile tug at his lips when he saw Emma. He held out an arm for her and she wasted no time in burrowing herself into his side, sobbing raggedly.

"I'm so sorry, Jude. I'm so sorry," Emma whimpered into his chest, shaking her head and staining the shirt with her tears. "You didn't deserve that, you didn't deserve any of that. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm okay now. We're okay now," Jude repeated over and over into Emma's hair, his tears falling on her hair. His arm shook over his friends' shoulders but he could do nothing to stop the many warring emotions in him.

The rest of the Potter and Weasley family came in, each and every one of them apologizing and some shedding tears when Jude easily forgave them.

But even with having those he considered family being happy around him again, Jude couldn't bring himself to beam like he used to.

Instead, he just felt empty.


	25. Final Match

**Chapter 25**

"You ready?" James asked as he and Emma walked up to Jude in the corridor. The students were cheering outside. This was the first game and last game they would play in the tournament, and he was excited to finally help beat one of the schools.

It helped that the school they were going against was Ilvermorny.

Jude nodded, eyes avoiding as he gazed dully at the pitch where their other teammates were, "Yeah. Just jitters, like always. I'll get over it once the game starts."

James grinned, "This is gonna be a great game. We can finally beat those stupid Americans and Canadians and show them that we're the best at quidditch."

The joke was something Jude would've laughed at before. It was funny, a bit mean, but not hurting anyone. But so much had changed, and even if Jude did believe that Hogwarts students were better, the humor didn't settle in him like it used to.

"Yeah," Jude mumbled. He hesitantly brought his eyes over to them. James seemed to not notice his internal struggle. Emma gazed at him sadly as if she knew how he felt.

He sighed, shaking his head, "Let's go. We've got a match to win." He got on his broom and shot off into the air with his other teammates.

As he gazed at the Ilvermorny students, feeling a bit of relief at not seeing Ethan among them, he shared a small smile with Chloe who gazed sympathetically at him.

She had seen how he acted these past few days, but she didn't blame him. If her friends betrayed her and hated her for something not at all life threatening, she didn't know how she would react when everyone thought it was all okay in the end.

" _Hello guys, gals, and non-binary pals,_ " Jared greeted jovially. " _Today is the last match of the Worldwide School Quidditch Tournament, and, man, what a setup we have here. We have Hogwarts vs. Ilvermorny. What a showdown between the English and the Americans._ "

"U-S-A! U-S-A!" The majority of the Ilvermorny students chanted.

"Can-a-da! Can-a-da!" Jude heard the tiny voices try to cut in.

"Let's hear it for Hogwarts!" A Gryffindor student yelled, garnering a loud cheer from all four houses.

Jared laughed, " _Everyone's certainly fired. Now, let's introduce the Hogwarts team once again._ " The cheers for the Hogwarts players grew louder.

" _For the chasers, we have Ravenclaw Captain 7_ _th_ _year Joffrey King, 6_ _th_ _year Gryffindors James Potter and Emma Thorne. For the beaters, we have Hufflepuff Captain 5_ _th_ _year Donnie Maxwell and Slytherin 6_ _th_ _year Erik Howard. Ravenclaw 7_ _th_ _year Kevin Simms is keeper and Gryffindor Captain 6_ _th_ _year Jude Porter. Let's hear it for them!_ "

Jude gripped his broomstick tightly as he breathed deeply. Funny, the heavy feeling weighing on him had nothing to do with the match. That was a first. He glanced at Chloe discreetly; maybe he was a little nervous going against his friend though.

After the Ilvermorny players were announced and the professors gave the rules and instructions, the balls were let loose into the air.

The seeker quickly moved away from the incoming chasers and stood off to the sidelines, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of the snitch. He looked over to Chloe and found her watching him. He grimaced, turning back to the task at hand. He couldn't let Chloe deter him, especially in this game.

He would win the cup for his school. While he wouldn't be immensely broken over the loss since Chloe was his friend and he held no ill will towards Ilvermorny like James did, he would be disappointed with himself for not playing with everything he had just because his friend was the rival seeker. He hoped he would win just to give him a little happiness in these tense filled days.

The scores moved back and forth between the schools. Joffrey, James, and Emma were a force to be reckoned with, the three of them almost as strong as when they played with Lily, but the Ilvermorny team was nothing to sneeze at.

Fluttering nearby hit Jude's eardrums like a tidal wave.

He shot off on his broom, following the snitch high above the pitch. He didn't need to look down or listen to Jared's commentary to know that Chloe was only centimeters from catching up to him.

He shouldn't have been surprised when he outstretched his hand to catch the snitch, only for it to fall back towards the pitch despite making them fly up so high.

With a grunt, Jude quickly maneuvered his broom to shoot back down to the pitch. He sent what he hoped was some kind of telepathic message to his broom, telling it to help him get to the pitch fast than anyone had before.

An idea sparked in his head.

He grinned sharply as he began twisting with his broom as he sped down towards the pesky snitch. The air rushing past his face was something he was used to, but at this velocity, he was scared that his glasses would fly off from the wind.

He passed the chasers and beaters as he kept spinning downwards. He couldn't hear the gasps and could barely see anything other than the snitch.

He caught the snitch just as he was inches from the ground. He smoothly pulled back and held his hand in the air, showing everyone the golden winged ball. His heart pounded in his chest wildly; he was glad he was healthy again or this would be his last match with how fast his heart was pumping.

The Hogwarts students burst into deafening cheers.

" _Porter has caught the snitch, ending the match with 450-360,_ " Jared chattered into the mic excitedly as he bounced on his toes." _Hogwarts is the world champions of the Worldwide School Quidditch Tournament. Boy, was this a wicked ride to be on. Thank you to all the schools and thank you to the participating students. What a year._ "

Jude grinned brightly at his teammates and hugged each one of them. Despite the hollowness that had been in his chest for the past few days, winning the tournament was something that lifted his heart higher than it ever was this year.

"Jude, you were going so fast. You were like a speeding bullet," Emma babbled as she held onto him. "I thought for sure you were going to hit the ground before you caught the snitch, but like always, you did the impossible."

"Thank you," Jude glowed at the compliment.

James snorted amusedly, "Ye of little faith, Em. Of course Jude was going to catch the snitch. He's the best there is."

Jude took the compliment with a small grin. He shifted his eyes to the Ilvermorny team who were congratulating themselves for getting this far. He moved away from his friends and bounded over to them, giving the slightly despondent Chloe a tight hug.

Chloe chuckled into his shoulder, shaking her head, "You're happier than you were this morning. I guess beating us really put your head in the clouds, huh?"

"A little," Jude joked lightly, his grin able to lift higher around her. "You were really good. Not as good Kikuchi, but you still had me worried."

"I'm glad I wasn't the one who had to go against him," Chloe jested, pressing her fist into his shoulder. She nodded to his friends behind him, "Go on now. We'll see each other at the party, I'm sure." She narrowed her eyes, "You better come to the party this time."

Jude scratched his forehead. "Well, I don't plan on getting stabbed again, so I'm sure I'll be there on time."

The two gazed into each other's eyes, seeing their stories intertwined with one another through their shared heartache and pain. They would carry the burdens themselves, they realized, for they didn't believe others would understand.

Chloe broke their eye contact as she gave another nod. "Porter."

Jude smiled slightly, "Holt." He gave her a nod before making his way back to his friends who greeted him with questioning eyes.

* * *

Everyone had left for the party in the Room of Requirement. Jude stayed behind, taking his sweet time changing into his casual clothes. It's not that he didn't want to spend time with James and Emma, but he had gotten used to being by himself again and he just needed another moment of solitary before he was comfortable around the others again.

With a rough sigh, he tugged on his shirt and made his way out of the Gryffindor locker room. Just as he was about to leave, he was met with multiple finely dressed men.

He blinked slowly at their unfamiliar faces, "May I help you?"

"You're Jude Porter, yeah? Captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team?" The auburn haired man asked.

"That's me," Jude answered cautiously.

The men pulled out cards and handed it to him. He clumsily took them and realized who they were once he read the names on the cards.

"You're…" He furrowed his brow. "You're agents for professional teams? Why…why are you giving these to me?"

The dark haired man chuckled, "As humble as they said." He patted Jude's shoulder, not noticing the grimace on the boy's face. "Jude, you're unique. I don't think I've ever seen anyone with that much talent on a quidditch pitch before."

"And you just barely scratched the surface for going against the other schools," The blond one stated. "Imagine going against a real professional team." He held out his arms. "You'll make it big, Porter. We know it."

The brunet male smiled slightly, "You don't have to answer us now, Jude. You've still got another year of school. But training starts the summer after you graduate, so we'll need your answer before then."

Jude nodded numbly, "Right, right. Thank you. I'll be sure to get back to you all."

As they all walked away, he keeled over, breathing heavily. Thank Merlin he didn't faint the moment he found out who they were and what they wanted.


	26. Offers

**Chapter 26**

The final exams for 6th year weren't as bad as O.W.L.s but they were still tough. Luckily there weren't as many they had to take this year. Jude felt much better not having to take a History of Magic exam, seeing as how he barely made it through the O.W.L. without barfing or fainting on his desk.

Jude walked out of his last class, pressing his fingertips to his eyes. Exhaustion pulled at the back of his head and settle deeply into his bones. Since the beginning of the year, it was as if being tired was part of his personality now.

He held out his hands when he felt someone bump into him. He opened his eyes and smiled slightly. "Lily, hey."

"Jude, hi," Lily tried to smile back. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "How are you?"

"Tired." They shared a chuckle. Jude rubbed his eye again. "Yeah, I just finished with my Alchemy final. That's the last one of the year. I'm done."

"Lucky you. I still have a few more classes before I finish," Lily replied. "Next year is O. though. Gotta get prepared for that."

Jude grimaced, "I've got N.E.W.T.s. Then I have to figure out what I want to do after I graduate." He began walking with Lily. "James is gonna be an auror. Emma wants to work for the Ministry of Magic. Heck, even Chloe told me she was trying to get a job for MACUSA. But me? I don't know what I want to do."

Lily gazed sympathetically, "Surely you have an idea."

The business cards sat heavily in his pockets. He exhaled shakily, "Yeah. Yeah, I…I kinda want to be a professional quidditch player." He glanced at her shyly as he fished out the cards, "A few men approached me after the last match. They told me they were managers from professional teams."

"Jude, that's great," Lily beamed, eyes glittering. She took the cards he held out. Her eyes widened in disbelief, "Puddlemere United, Montrose Magpies, Ballycastle Bats, Wimbourne Wasps, Falmouth Falcons, Chudley Cannons, Appleby Arrows, Jude, these are amazing offers."

She raised an eyebrow confusedly when she noticed his despondent nature, "Why are you so apprehensive about your future then?" They walked into the courtyard where some students were sleeping on the stone benches.

Jude shrugged, a slight frown on his lips, "I don't know. James and Emma are gonna get such prestigious jobs. I'd just be a professional athlete. That's not…I don't know."

"Oh," Lily nodded understandingly. "You're afraid they're gonna judge you for choosing to be a professional quidditch player."

"I know. I know I shouldn't think like that but I just-"

"Jude," Lily cut him off gently. "After all you've been through this year; I'm surprised you haven't been thinking like that." She placed a hand on his arm, eyes casted down. "I'm sorry."

Jude shook his head, "It's fine. It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you."

Lily glared though it held no animosity, "Jude, you shouldn't be so forgiving. What James did, what we all did to you was wrong. We turned our backs on you."

"I punched your father. What were you supposed to do?"

"Support you, listen to you because you're our friend! You can't just accept everything that happened like it was nothing. We know it hurt you, Jude. You shouldn't be afraid to tell us that it did."

Jude swallowed dryly, ignoring his wet eyes, "I don't want James to get mad again. I don't want Emma to leave because James is leaving. I want everything to go back to normal."

Lily sighed sympathetically, "It will, Jude, but you can't sweep all this under the rug because you're afraid of what James might say. You're his friend but most of all, you're his equal. Just tell him how you feel and accept the fact that we all have a lot of making up to do for you."

"Okay," Jude exhaled heavily, nodding. "I'll talk to James and Emma about it all."

"Good," Lily smiled. She held up the business. "Now let's go over which teams will be better for you in the long run."

The smile on Jude's face couldn't possibly show how happy he was at this moment. The expanding of his chest and the fullness of his heart was something he believed he would never get to feel again, but he was mistaken.

And he was glad for it.

* * *

Jude hurried out of George's store, panicking and hoping that he wasn't late to meet Chloe, James, and Emma at Three Broomsticks. He feared what would happen if Chloe and James met again after everything that happened.

He had meant to go straight to the Three Broomsticks but George had called him into his shop to apologize for what happened at the wedding. He had wanted to dismiss the man but he remembered what Lily said, so he struck a deal with George and jokingly asked for an armful of his products free.

George was eager to comply which surprised the young man but he took advantage of the jokester's groveling and took whatever he wanted.

Now he had to make it to the pub before Chloe or James did.

"Jude?" He turned around at the sound of his name, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw a now familiar face.

"Bonnie? What are you doing here?"

Bonnie smiled slightly as she stepped next to him, "I thought I'd see you. A friend of mine told me some awful things happened to you these past few months."

Jude bounced his eyebrows, lips in a tight line. "Yeah, awful." He gazed up at the woman and shook his head, "You didn't have to come check on me, you know? I thought I made it clear last time-"

"I know, I know," Bonnie nodded, holding up her hands. "I was just a little concerned. I may not be your mother, but I thought I could be a civil acquaintance."

An acquaintance with the woman who gave birth to him and then cast him aside because she never wanted him in the first place? He could do worse.

Jude sighed heavily, "I'm fine right now. I was healed recently and the curse that was on my friend was lifted. Everything's back to normal." He smiled slightly, Thank you for your concern."

"No problem, Jude," Bonnie smiled back. "And I know you're still hesitant about all of this, but I hope you liked the olive branch I extended."

"Olive branch?" Jude raised his eyebrow questioningly.

Bonnie nodded as she began walking away, "I may be out of the wizarding world, but I still have a few contacts in the quidditch business." She waved over her shoulder. "I'll be seeing you, Jude."


	27. Chloe's Departure

**Chapter 27**

The school year came to an end and with it, the departure of the foreign students. Jude was saddened that he had to say goodbye to so many new friends. He more than likely wouldn't get to see them again in years. He wasn't a traveler, and even with some of the other schools being in Europe, he knew that it would be a long time before he stepped foot on their soil.

Still, the hardest part for him was saying goodbye to Chloe.

Jude stood in front of Chloe as the rest of the Ilvermorny students boarded the boat they arrived on at the beginning of the year. James and Emma waited behind him, one bored and the other slightly saddened at having to see the students go.

"You'll write to me?" Jude asked softly, his breath hitching in his throat.

Chloe smiled, her green eyes sharing the same tears his had, "You know I will. Someone will have to chop off my hand to keep me from writing you."

Jude chuckled, his voice thick and his eyes wet, "Same here." He sniffled, rubbing his stinging nose, "I don't want you to go. Who knows when we'll see each other again?"

"Soon," Chloe promised. "You told me that you got offers from quidditch teams, right? You'll be traveling the world in no time, and I'll be waiting for you in the states. Hopefully not to arrest you or anything."

"Merlin, I hope not." The two laughed. Jude swallowed thickly, "It's gonna be hard to get used to next year without you."

"Yeah," Chloe agreed softly. "It's crazy, isn't it? We've only known each other for not even a full year, and yet we probably won't be able to function normally anymore without each other."

The two stared at each other for a long moment before throwing their arms around each other, hugging the other tightly.

Jude breathed shakily, tears streaming down his face and dropping onto his lips. "I don't want you to go. I don't want you to leave."

Chloe shook her head, crying into his chest, "I don't want you to leave either. I'd take you with me if I could, make you transfer schools, but I know how much you love Hogwarts and your family."

Their hearts yearned to be side by side one last time, but despite their fates intertwining from the moment they met, they were still destined to be apart. Jude was meant for a bigger battle and Chloe had a home to go back to. Neither could rip that away from the other.

Sniffling, Jude pulled away and wiped his eyes. "You'll write me every day, right?" He asked once more.

"I'll write you every hour if I have to," Chloe replied, only slightly joking. "I know you'll still be busy with your house, but try to write back. I'd show you the easy way of muggle technology but we don't have that much time."

"I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later," Jude mumbled. He smiled again, the sorrow in his eyes slowly receding, "I'll be seeing you, Holt."

Chloe smiled back, her eyes shining with something other than tears, "And I'll be seeing you, Porter. This isn't the end of our stories."

Jude shook his head, "No, it is not." He bowed his head. "Safe travels, Chloe."

"Don't get lonely without me," Chloe quipped. She placed her hand on his shoulders and lifted onto her tip toes, gently kissing his cheek. "Bye, Jude."

He lifted his hand, waving as she got onto the ship with her friends. She gave him one last wave as it began to set sail.

James and Emma stood next to him, offering their sympathies. They made a lot of friends with the foreign students as well, but the bond Jude and Chloe had was one that couldn't compare to the acquaintanceships they made.

"You'll see her again, Jude. The world isn't that big, you know," Emma said comfortingly, leaning her head on Jude's muscular arm.

"If you go to states, don't expect me to go with you," James joked, a small smile on his lips despite his warring emotions.

James hadn't ever seen Jude so sad about someone leaving before. It hurt him deeply to know that the friendship between his best friend and the blonde he barely began to tolerate grew stronger when he isolated Jude while caught in Lazarus' curse. A part of him was glad Jude had someone to turn to when everyone was against him, but another disliked Chloe for taking his place as Jude's person.

Putting all of that to the back of his mind, he patted Jude's arm as he turned on his heel to walk back into the castle. "Come on, mate, let's get back to the dorm. We still gotta pack our own bags and get on the train."

Jude released a shaky breath and nodded, following his friend. He gripped the back of James' cardigan, following him with wide blue eyes, mirroring the way he looked on his first day of his first year in Hogwarts.

Affection flooded James' system as he glanced back at his friend. He couldn't believe he was able to hold such negative thoughts about Jude. There was nothing about Jude he hated; there was nothing he wanted to hate. He loved Jude as much as his siblings; maybe even more but don't tell Lily or Albus. They'd have his head if they knew the truth.

"Would you want to go to America sometime in the future?" Emma asked Jude as they made it back into the castle.

"Yeah, I would," Jude smiled. "Actually, I've gotten offers from quidditch teams around the country. Maybe if I'm good enough, I can go to the World Cup. If it'll be held in the states, I'd get to see Chloe."

James grinned slightly, "That's good, mate. I mean, I may not like the states, but-" He sputtered when Jude's words set in. "Wh-what?! You've gotten offers from managers already?"

Jude's smile turned mischievous. "I thought I forgot to tell you something."

"You little bugger!"

The hall was filled with Jude and Emma's laughter as James tried to grab Jude in a headlock despite his friend being much taller than him.

Those passing them smiled, happy that everything was back to normal.


	28. The Talk

**Chapter 28**

School was over and Jude could finally take a deep breath and relax. He didn't have to worry about quidditch matches, no more homework, finals were over and done with, and the yearly attempt on his life was already squashed. He could let his shoulders slump and ignore his problems while he hung out with James and Emma again.

Things weren't as good as his friends made it seem, but he was fine with pretending they were just so he could finally sit down and rest his weary mind.

It was only a week into summer that James invited him and Emma to his house. At that moment, Jude knew things were going to be weird now, especially when he asked Neville and Hannah for permission to go and they practically fell over themselves trying to give him whatever he wanted.

Things would get better once everyone stopped making it seem like he was going to walk away when they were the ones who turned their backs on him first.

It was nice to be in James' house and not get glared at for once. He even shared a grin with Harry before the older male left for yet another mission. Albus was civil towards him, something Harry had his hand in, no doubt.

"17 and you haven't even let off one spell since your birthday," James commented, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Mum had to take my wand away because I wouldn't stop shooting off hexes at Al."

Jude smiled slightly, taking amusement in Emma glaring at James for his immaturity and recklessness. "I was a bit busy for a while after my birthday. I didn't have time." He shrugged, ignoring the somber mood that settled on them, "Besides, it's not like I used a lot of spells when I was at home. Though it is nice knowing I can use magic without someone keeping tabs on me."

"Just don't get too crazy with it," Emma advised.

"I feel like I'm not the one who should be telling that too."

"It's too late for James."

Jude and Emma snickered, tickled by James' pouting face.

James huffed, crossing his arms, "Whatever. I'm just glad we're 17 before 7th year comes. It'll make things a bit more interesting."

"Won't make N.E.W.T.s more interesting," Jude mumbled, grinning when it had the desired effect on his friends.

Emma sighed dreamily, "Oh, I can't wait to work for the Ministry. I'll finally be making a difference in the wizarding world."

"Taking N.E.W.T.s is going to be such a hassle," James groaned. "And unlike you, Jude, I have to get a good score on them if I want to become an auror like my dad."

Lily walked in, eyes confused. "Dad and Uncle Ron didn't even attend their last year of school and they're still aurors. Dad's even the head of the office."

"Yeah, but Dad saved the world. I can't compete with that," James retorted. "The only thing I've ever done was beat a few Death Eaters."

"That's still an accomplishment no one in our year can say they have," Jude reassured with a small smile. "You're going to be an Auror, James, I know it. You're too good to be anything else, really."

James smiled gratefully, nudging his friend's shoulder, "Thanks, mate." He chuckled amusedly, "And I very well can't be a professional quidditch player. Not with you getting on the pitch. You'd blow anything I can do out of the water."

A pink hue appeared on Jude's cheeks. "That's not true…"

Ginny popped her head in, grinning. "What's this I hear about a professional quidditch player in our midst?"

Jude stared, disgruntled as James grabbed his arm and lifted it. He pulled away from his friend and nodded to Ginny bashfully, "I got offers from a few teams in the country."

"Few teams, he says," James scoffed. "More like every team in the country. If the Holyhead Harpies recruited men, I'm sure you would've been the first on their list." He rubbed his chin. "Just knowing that makes me doubt my own skills."

"You're a chaser. I'm a seeker. They're two different positions. You can't compare them," Jude mumbled.

Ginny shook her head, "Really, James. I've seen the way you all play. None of you should be doubting your skills." She held out her hand to Jude. "Now let me see those offers so I make sure they're legitimate."

After he gave the business cards over, Jude excused himself from the room and made his way into the kitchen, ready to devour the cookies Mrs. Weasley had made for them (specifically him, but he didn't want to deprive anyone of the chocolaty goodness.).

"Don't eat all of them now."

Jude jolted forward, the cookie flying out of his hand as he startled. He whipped his head around, finding Lily entering the kitchen, hiding her smile with her hand. He let out a rough breath as he knelt down to clean up the mess, "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry," Lily chuckled as she knelt next to him to help. "I just figured you would be in here eating the cookies. You're a glutton for sweets."

"Especially your grandmother's," Jude joked, eyes on the floor as he made sure every last crumb was in his hand.

When he lifted his head, he found himself gazing into Lily's brown eyes, the color she shared with her mother and oldest brother.

Jude swallowed roughly. His heart raced in his chest and his cheeks began flushing, giving his skin an uncomfortable heat. He licked his lips, tasting the chocolate from the cookie he consumed. He could feel her breath mingling with his own. His noticed her eyes darting to his mouth.

He followed her example, staring at her shiny pink lips. He wondered if they were as soft as they looked.

"What are you two doing?"

Jude yelped loudly, throwing himself back. The cookie and the crumbs in his hand flew into the air. It landed on his head and clothes. He shook the crumbs out of his hair with shaky hands, his ears burning and his stomach stirring with something he hadn't felt since the quidditch game against Mahoutokoro.

Ginny grinned mischievously above them, arms crossed, "Making more than one mess in my house is a sure way to get yourself uninvited, Jude."

"Y-yes, Mrs. Potter. I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter," Jude mumbled fearfully as he began cleaning up the mess again, his fingers shaking as they curled around the mess of a broken cookie in his palm.

Realizing her mistake, Ginny leaned down and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm just kidding, Jude. Forget about the cookie. I'll clean it up later." Seeing him take a deep breath, she glanced at her daughter, "Do I need to give you two the talk?"

Lily blushed to the roots of her hair. She shook her head vigorously as she all but ran out of the kitchen, "No, I'm not listening to that again!"

Apprehension took a back seat as Jude tilted his curiously at the mother, "The talk? What's that?"

Ginny cleared her throat awkwardly, "Well, Jude, when two people love each other very much, sometimes they want to feel each other in ways that-"

"Oh, you're talking about sex."

"W-what?" Ginny was taken aback. "You…you know what that is?"

Jude shrugged, brow furrowed in confusion, "Yeah. Doesn't everybody?"

"So why did you act like you didn't know what ogling meant? James told me you thought 'checking someone out' was checking them for injuries."

"Why else would I check them out?"

Realization settled in Ginny's eyes. She chuckled, shaking her head, "Really, Jude, don't ever change. You're too good for this world." She ruffled his hair before making her way back into the family.

Jude exhaled lightly, finally feeling that uncomfortable heat diminish. He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering when these feelings for Lily decided to make themselves known.

This was complicated.


End file.
